Shadows of the Past
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: *Retired* It's back... With a new prologue and everything! This time Bra tries to convince her father to tell them of his past...
1. Prologue... A Past Revealed?

Disclaimer: I still do not own DBZ, and I still have nothing worth taking, so don't sue me

Notes: New beginning for the prologue, hope ya like it…

Shadows of the Past: Prologue

Master Roshi's tiny island was once again home to a gathering of the Z- fighters, past and present. Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and Puar sat on lawn chairs reminissing, about old times. Pan, Marron and Bra were watching Trunks and Goten's sparring match. While 18 and Videl helped Chichi unpack the food they had brought, Gohan and Piccolo talked quietly in the shade of the palm trees.

Forgotten by the others, a lone figure stood admiring the sunset. The magnificent colors lit the sky like fire and the rich hues of red and gold were reflected in the sparkling water as if a million tiny diamonds were being gently stirred by the tide. The night itself seemed to breath a contented sigh as the last rays of the evening sun began to fade, taking the warm color with it but leaving behind a peace that was reflected in the soft rush of the waves. As the first of the stars appeared in the ever-darkening sky, Vegeta smirked, one could see forever through the thin atmosphere of this planet. His Saiyan senses picked up galaxies that were not listed on earth's pathetic star maps. How many of those stars up there had he visited… how many of their planets had he destroyed…

After a while, they all seemed to run together… all except Arlia and Janson 3. The natives of Janson 3 had called their planet Astrea, and were once Frieza's allies, but they too outlived their usefulness and he had gotten the task of exterminating them… Did it matter anymore? Had it ever really mattered? They were dead, and gone, their planets completely destroyed and nothing could change that, so why did he still remember them so clearly? And why did he look away every time he remembered the emotions written so clearly on the faces of those two ugly bugs? The King and Queen of Arlia were nothing but giant bugs why should he care that he had destroyed them and their planet? There were countless planets and life forms out there, why should the Prince of all Saiyans answer to his conscience over the demise of these two over all the others he had destroyed?

Had he not destroyed Janson 3 Frieza would've beaten him nearly to death and sent someone else anyway. Nothing would have been changed with his defiance as an 18 year old. And Arlia? Well, they weren't on Frieza's immediate list of imperatives, but they were in the eventual list. Sparing them would've only forestalled the inevitable, but for some reason, this knowledge was of little comfort to him tonight. It was this world that was doing this to him, Earth, his mate and Kakarrot, damn all three of them.

Ever since he had allowed Majin Buu partial control over him, the conscience within him that Frieza had worked so hard to completely destroy had been getting the better of him about his past. Why had he allowed Buu into his mind and his body? He had always done everything on his own. Was it for power? Or was it something else? It seemed like a long time ago, but it wasn't. Kakarrot was still off training the brat, rather than here with his family. Even Vegeta, who had _never_ wanted a family, rarely left his alone. Kakarrot, the idiot who could do no wrong it had seemed since his arrival here, had left his family in order to train a stranger? He would rather train Uub than his own sons? The very idea was preposterous, where was his Saiyan pride? 

It was a shame really, Gohan was closer to Piccolo by far than he was with his father these days, and Goten? The brainless brat was exactly like him but hardly knew him… His kids were both very strong warriors, but Vegeta rarely acknowledged it, even to himself, but he had allowed Goten to train with Trunks, a lot more lately, telling himself it was just to see what Gohan had been teaching him…

Speaking of the two brats… their power levels were being suppressed, he turned around casually to where they had been sparring earlier and found himself surrounded. Pan, Trunks, Goten, Bra and Marron were all holding squirt guns aimed at him. One jet-black eyebrow arched smoothly and he smirked coldly as he gave the surprised demi-Saiyans a chance to run, only for the sake of the girls, though, and when Trunks and Goten bolted too, he was ready. Vegeta was in front of them instantly, and used a minor pair of energy blasts to destroy the squirt guns; Kami only knew what was in them this time, and he wasn't in the mood to find out." Next time, Brats, don't get caught. I had destroyed 3 planets by the time I was 8. Why would you think it would be that easy to catch me off guard when I'm not even arguing with your mother? "

" Three? I thought you only destroyed Arlia. " Bra said softly, putting her squirt gun on the ground and coming over to him. Her eyes, so much like her mothers held him prisoner, he considered not answering, but one day he knew his past would catch up to him. If any of Frieza's men found out he was still alive, or if any of the planets he had purged had unknown colony worlds, his children would make prime targets, and he had told himself long ago that they deserved to know what he had done to endanger them.

" I destroyed Arlia on my way here, independent of Frieza's command. On Frieza's orders I destroyed 16 planets, and lead Napa and Radditz into battle on 8 outposts and garrisons of the legionaries of the Eternal Star. I accompanied Napa and Radditz as an observer on 6 missions and assisted larger forces on 7 occasions. None of that includes my search for Kakarrot after Namek, when I took out 12 of Frieza's old bases. "

" W…what? Daddy, how can you say that? How can you act like it's nothing? You… you said that like you read it out of a history book… " Bra stumbled back, her blue eyes filling with tears, when he moved to steady her, she threw herself into the sand as if he had attacked her. " I… I guess he was right about you after all… I never would've… "

" Who was right about what? " Vegeta interrupted, but was already glaring at Yamcha.

" Dad, forget it… " Trunks tried to say, but Vegeta wasn't listening.

" Yamcha said you were a murderer, and when I said you weren't he laughed at me and… "

" Bra… " Goten interrupted," Yamcha was drunk… hell, he's still drunk. He didn't know what he was saying… Vegeta-san… "

" The idiot is of no concern to me, he knows nothing of my past, and he wasn't even man enough to fight for his mate 25 years ago. He wasn't worth killing then, why would I put him out of his misery now? You three better than anyone else alive… aside from Bulma should know me better than that by now. "

" Daddy… " Bra whispered, " When I was little, you always promised you would tell me what had happened to you… Why you can be such a good father now, but once destroyed so many places… Can you tell us now? Please? If you don't tell us, how can you expect us to understand? "

He hated it when his little princess did this to him. But at the same time, they were old enough now to hear this, and he _had_ promised to tell them. Originally he had only meant to tell Trunks and Bra, Bulma already knew most of his past, because of their bond… but looking around at the others, he sighed. For a moment he wondered why he felt the need to tell any of them, but looking into his daughters eyes, he saw hope, and he swore softly. What he would have to tell them would crush her hope that he wasn't evil, the truth of his past was so bloody and laced with pain that it would've seen any lesser creature surrender to the pain he still felt whenever he thought of the things Frieza had done… Even he had considered death as an escape from the hell he had been put through, but then he thought of her… and found the strength to go on…

" Daddy? Please tell us. "

" Bra… you will not like this story. There are no knights in shinning armor, no big white castles and… this time the prince doesn't rescue the princess. "

" I don't care, I just want to know what happened to you… that made you the way you are… "

" It would be easiest to say Frieza, but that wouldn't be entirely true. He took me when I was five, destroyed planet Vegeta, took my birthright when he killed my father… but he also introduced me to the one thing that kept me from giving up. And in a way, I don't mean just revenge… "

" You were 5? " Everyone seemed to ask at the same time. 

" Yes, Frieza thought of himself as something of a collector. He collected planets as other kings collect gems and gold. He also collected pretty things and royalty. "

" What? " Bra gasped

" Frieza had a vast empire, and there was a fierce rivalry between him and that idiot Koola. Physically Koola of course was stronger, but Frieza was smarter. He preferred to control his empire with subtlety and veiled threats, rather than straight conquest. To get leverage against those who interested or opposed him, he would take and train their heirs, at one of three schools. As long as he held their heirs and heiresses, no one he had alliances or trade deals with would dare act against him. To be truthful, these nobles even policed each other, to be sure that no one plotting against Frieza could succeed. He was true to his word with his young pawns. Frieza trained us well. Even without my scouter I can speak 25 languages, not to mention those I learned here. Philosophy, sciences, math, art, courtly etiquette, for all of those subjects he scoured his empire for the best teachers he could find… only I seemed to understand that the school was no more than a prison. The other brats went about their studies and seemed to enjoy it… "

" Why didn't you? "

" I'm not sure, instinctively I knew that my father was dead, but Frieza kept me anyway, and I was never sure why. I was pushed a lot harder than the other brats, but I was also smart enough and strong enough that at age 5, I was put with the third graders. Frieza took particular interest in me, but aside from the possibility that I would be the next super Saiyan, I was never sure why. "

" So, what happened first? " Goten asked, " Were you kidnapped or did the king give you up? "

Vegeta was not prepared for the pain that question brought. The fact that it hurt was a surprise, because he hadn't felt this pain since… he pushed his emotions aside and thought for a moment. " When I was training with my father for the last time, I was injured and nearly died. When I got out of the tank, I was summoned to a meeting… "

Vegeta took another moment to gather his thoughts. It had been so long, and yet he could still see everything so clearly, the unnatural, sterile scent of the medical palace wing, the bright glint of the lights on the polished metal walls… the tense look on that idiot Napa's face as he waited for him to finish dressing.

Throwing his scarlet cape over his shoulders, he fastened it securely. He could feel the gigantic Saiyan's nervousness as he waited for his presence to be acknowledged. The prince took as long as possible adjusting his velvet cape, and gave himself an amused little smirk, his tail twitching with mischievous intent. Finally though, he arched one eyebrow and scowled at his bodyguard through the mirror.

" My prince, your father demands your presence in the throne room at once. "

" So? "

" So we had better not keep him waiting. Your father is in a f… a meeting with Lord Frieza. "

" Why do they want me there? I'll be at court tomorrow as usual, his majesty hates me anyway, and I _really_ don't want the second thing I see today to be that bastard Frieza. "

" My prince, you mustn't talk that way about our most powerful ally. Besides, your father doesn't hate you. "

Vegeta levitated to eyelevel in front of his bodyguard and smirked as he arched one eyebrow expectantly. " Really? And I suppose next you'll be telling me I'll be queen one day too? What time is it anyway, you idiot? "

" It is 03:00 my prince. "

Vegeta was nearly speechless. " I was in there for 12 hours? "

" Your majesty, " A white coated lab tech ventured, " If I may, answer, you suffered massive injuries from your shattered ribs and were in the tank for 6 days. "

Slowly, Vegeta turned a dark, smoldering eye on the small round purple alien addressing him. The lab tech began to back away slowly, then turned and ran through the doorway he had just entered through the moment before. " Has it really been six days? "

" Yes, that is part of the reason they request you now. "

' What so that he can blast me again? ' Vegeta wanted to say, but he didn't and forcing himself to look regal, he lead Napa through the empty corridors of the palace. At the antechamber of the throne room, he could hear his father's angry voice arguing, yelling at someone, but whoever was answering could not be heard yet. 

Knowing that his father's scouter had picked up his approach by now, Vegeta didn't stop to listen at the door, instead he allowed Napa to open it for him and stepped inside. Near his father's throne, sat the small disgusting pink lizard known as Frieza, and next to the door, sat Zarbon and Dodoria… But where were his father's guards? Napa also had remained outside, and Vegeta glared at Frieza. King Vegeta turned slowly to glance at his son, and as he did, Vegeta saw the beginnings of a nasty bruise along his jaw. " What are you staring at, Brat? " 

" Nothing. " The prince glared back, but in his heart he knew that the bruise was there because of Frieza, there was not a Saiyan alive capable of laying a hit like that on his father, except for him, and he had been in the tank for 6 days. Vegeta glared at Frieza, studying the alien lord who seemed to have as much control over his planet as his father did. The ugly alien would pay for his lack of respect for the Saiyan crown, Vegeta would make certain of that, no matter how long it took.

" Prince Vegeta, Frieza's face twisted into a mocking grin. " How nice to see that you seem to be fully recovered from your little accident in the training hall. Do you remember what we were discussing that afternoon? "

Vegeta frowned. He sort of remembered his father becoming angrier than he had ever seen him, about something, right before the blaze of silver white light had struck his chest. " No, Lord Frieza, I do not. "

" No matter, it will become apparent in a few moments… Do sit down and join us. "

Vegeta ignored him and turned his attention to his father, who was prowling the room like a caged beast. He was five, but he had a thorough understanding of Saiyan protocol, and knew better than to sit in here without invitation from the king. 

" Sit down Brat, and don't interfere… He is a five-year-old Frieza, how do you expect to use him at this age? " 

" He may only be five, but he is already nearly as strong as you are. Lord Vegeta, you must understand that I too, only want what is best for your son. In all likelihood he is the next super Saiyan, I believe someone of such power would be of interest to my empire, as well as yours. " Frieza purred, knowing full well that the Saiyan king had tried to keep it a secret from Frieza that he was probably the next golden warrior. " He has learned all he can from your guards and trainers, and I will even allow Napa to accompany him, to teach him properly in Saiyan customs and such. "

" Your demands have gotten out of hand, Frieza, and this is the worst yet. "

" I value the Saiyans, Lord Vegeta, why else would I extend to you such a generous offer?I am even willing to make a few concessions regarding a few worlds that were already supposed to be in my possession. I am being more than reasonable. "

" Perhaps, _if_ I believed your intentions were benevolent. "

" You wound me Vegeta. " Frieza said softly, but turned his attention to the prince a moment later. Vegeta felt himself squirm uncomfortably in the chair as he felt the garnet gaze of the little alien lord on him again. " You must forgive our rudeness tonight, my prince, I feel as if we are neglecting you. "

" This is between us, leave the Brat alone. " The elder Vegeta snarled, and got a nasty slap from Frieza's tail for it. The king wiped the blood from his split lip onto the back of his glove.

" You are making all of this much harder than it needs to be, and I tire of this game. We both know I could take him right now, and you know you can't stop me." 

" And we also know that I can't let you cast dishonor upon me, my throne and my son by saying such things and making such demands. "

" Indeed, that is why we tried diplomacy first. But, if you want to do this the hard way… Your son is coming with me. And I will train him and mold him into the leader, and the warrior I know he has the potential to become. This will come to pass whether or not you and your planet still exist! "

" You wouldn't dare? "

" Wouldn't I? " Frieza chuckled coldly, but whatever else he said was lost in the cry of outrage from the young prince as he leapt at Frieza, Vegeta was cunning and strong, but still too young to last long against Frieza. The alien lord chuckled to himself dodging Vegeta's kicks and punches, for a moment. But when Vegeta feigned a punch, and struck him in the chin with a kick, Frieza was no longer amused. Frieza's eye lasers connected with his armor at great force, throwing the prince against the wall, where he hit with a sickening crunch and lay still.

Well, how you like the new Start to the prologue?? My notes for the other beginning never showed up, and I had to start somewhere… Well, I'm happy to put it back up at long last, hope you all like this series as well as A Passion that Burns. Well, R/R… please!!!!!!


	2. A Deal Only A Saiyan King Could Make

Disclaimer: I do NOT own DragonballZ or any other Anime for that matter; this is just for FUN, got that? Not Funimation, just fun!

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 1

Vegeta awoke in slow degrees, he was nestled in soft warmth, and he winced as he cracked an eye and looked around. He was in his bed, surrounded by his familiar bed sheets in the royal colors of his father. He hated red… When he was king, his first order of business would be changing the house colors to blue and white. Could he do that? He wondered for a moment. Red was the traditional color of the King, oh well, when he was old enough to be king, no one would be able to match his power, and so, he'd damn well do it anyway! 

He winced trying to sit up… what had happened? Why did his ribs feel like they had been caved in? He shook his head, ignoring the feeling of bones scraping as he fought his way to sitting up. A shudder of pain racked his small body as he succeeded, and he smirked, but it soon passed, replaced by a dark expression as he tried again to remember what had happened.

He vaguely remembered coming out of the tank, and Napa being there, but other than that, his mind was pretty blank… Vegeta found that rather disturbing, he knew he had an unusually good memory for his age; it kept getting him in trouble with his tutors, since he used it to twist their history lessons into reasons that he didn't need history lessons. He finally gave up and shook his head, he was probably just training with his father anyway and got hurt… Although if he had thought about that he would've remained puzzled, his father always made sure that he was hurt badly enough to need a regeneration tank, and since he could move, he didn't need one.

He shivered and bit back tears as he forced himself to scoot to the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, forcing his mind to block out the pain. He eased himself out of bed and cursed softly as his legs refused to hold him. Determined to make it on his own, he ignored the urge to call Napa for help and pushed himself to his feet. Once standing, he had to still his breathing again, and was relieved to find it was easier this time.

He made his way to his closet and pulled out a blue bodysuit, his armor and the red velvet cape. He considered not wearing the cape, but he was in too much pain to lead the guards on a merry chase. He smirked, he knew better, but he couldn't help but feel he had gotten away with something and while he didn't know what it could be, he had the urge to cause trouble this morning. He glanced at the clock on the wall… 0900, damn, he was late, so he didn't dare show up at court today, besides, he felt unusually angry at his father for some reason, and didn't want to see him.

Well, since none of the servants had disturbed his rest that meant he could stay in bed if he wanted to, and while his damaged ribs begged him to do just that, he had his pride, and wasn't about to admit he was hurt. Getting dressed proved more difficult than he thought it would, especially when it came time to put on his heavy armor, but after about an hour, he managed it. Was it really almost 1030 already? At this rate, he was going to miss all of his morning training time, and then he'd be stuck with his tutors all afternoon. Not that he would be up to much of a workout, but he still wanted to do something fun. 

Vegeta ignored the pain in his ribs as he made his way across the large bedchamber to the even larger front room of his quarters. That was another thing that was going when he was king… all this extra space was unnecessary, and he considered it's opulent decorations garish. He was a warrior, and wasn't particularly interested in crystal vases or gilded statues of his ancestors, particularly when he was stronger now than they had been as adults. The fountain at the north end of the room could stay, he liked to meditate near it at night, but he glanced at a portrait of his mother and father together, and sneered thatcertainly had to go.

His parents fought constantly, and he often wondered how they had managed to have him at all. His mother was beautiful, with her long wild black hair and gold-flecked brown eyes; she hated him though, even more than his father did. He shrugged, his parents were also very tall, so why was he so short? His father taunted him mercilessly about his height it was all rather confusing to him, his science tutors were forbidden to discuss his so called perfect genetics with him, and while he found that a little strange, it was no worse than being attacked by his father everyday in training. He called it training, and for a long time Vegeta thought nothing of it… until one time he had managed to actually injure his father, without meaning to, and he caught sight of Napa's face… The huge warrior had winced as the king had nearly killed him in retaliation. He shivered at the memory, he had thought that all Saiyan warriors were pushed this hard, but that day he had learned otherwise. Napa of course never said it, but his bodyguard was always present when he opened his eyes in the regen tank, and his father never was. Vegeta took great care to be sure that he didn't hurt his father when they sparred anymore, but the king continued to nearly kill him every time… Speaking of Napa, what was the big idiot doing in his quarters anyway?

Napa stood just inside the front door of his quarters, his expression was very grave, and the prince gave him a sharp glare. " What are you doing in here? "

" M…my prince… What are you doing out of bed?!? "

" I asked you a question, and I expect an answer! "

" Your father sent me to watch over you. "

" Really? " Vegeta was not impressed, and he got the distinct feeling that Napa was either lying, or omitting something. " What aren't you telling me? "

" Nothing, my prince. Frieza and your father managed to come to an agreement, and I am here to make sure that it is kept. "

" What sort of an agreement? "

" Don't you remember what happened last night? "

" What happened and what are you looking at me like that for? Never mind, I'll worry about it later, right now I want to go to the training hall. "

" You are not well enough to train right now, you are to remain in your chambers today, my prince. "

" What?! "

" I am sorry, my prince, but on your father's orders you are to stay here. "

" He can't do this to me! "

" I am sorry, my prince, but he can since he feels you are in danger. "

" From him perhaps… " Vegeta grumbled under his breath. " Napa, do you feel that I am in danger? "

" You know that I really can't say, sire. " 

" What is this, some strange new punishment? You won't tell me the real reason I am being locked in my own rooms, and you aren't even going to tell me what I am in danger from? You are my father's best friend Napa. I know you know what is going on. Tell me or I will simply practice on you right now. " 

" What is the last thing you remember about last night? "

" Well, I remember getting out of the tank. "

Napa groaned and shook his head. " I knew it would be a mistake to take you to that meeting. You are much too young to be getting hurt like this all the time…Prince Vegeta you and I are to report to Frieza's ship tomorrow morning at 0700. Last night, Lord Frieza secured your father's permission to train you."

" What?!? My father is sending me away? "

" He doesn't want to my prince, but it was the only way to… "

" There is always another way! "

" No, not when dealing with Frieza, you should be happy, I know that you hate training with your father. Besides, for whatever reason, I believe Frieza likes you… He has been trying to get permission to train you for about three weeks now, and… "

" I don't care, Napa, I won't go. "

" I told your father you wouldn't understand… Not that I can blame you, you are too young for this. If you don't go, Lord Frieza will kill your father, and destroy our entire planet. "

Vegeta could only stare at Napa. For once his bodyguard didn't flinch under his icy glare. It was no secret that Frieza collected the children of nobles and rulers he had alliances and trade deals with, training them to be loyal to him and destroying anyone who stood in his way, but Vegeta had never dreamed he would be taken. While he held their heirs and heiresses captive, no one would dare move against him, these nobles even policed each other while Frieza was busy with new territories and such, but the Saiyan alliance was an old one, why would he feel he needed to do this now? " He would really destroy everything to get to me? "

" Your father believes he is serious… I don't really know. But I think he is a coward to hide behind children to make his demands. I do not think he will hurt you if we go with him, you must be a very valuable commodity to him. Your father…"

" My father can burn in the nine hells… " Vegeta interrupted in a low growl. " But… I can't let him destroy our world… Why must we leave so soon? "

" He thought he would have had you in his possession weeks ago, and he has other appointments to keep. Do you understand why you have to go now? "

For a long moment Vegeta said nothing, he wanted to say no, he wanted to fight Frieza and destroy him, but he had a feeling he had already tried that…he wanted to cry, and hide under the covers of his bed and make the pain in his heart go away… but he knew that only Frieza's destruction could heal this pain, and for that he knew he would have to become a super saiyan… " Yes, " The prince said sullenly. " To save our people… I will go with him. Let him train me, and when I become a super saiyan he will regret this, I will destroy him or I will die trying. He will learn that he can't do this, not to the Saiyan race, and not to me. "

Napa nodded wearily to himself watching the young prince go back to his bedchamber and slam the door. It wasn't fair, no child deserved that, being Frieza's pawn was bad enough, but to know that the fate of his people depended on his submission? If Napa could he would face Frieza himself, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. The brat was brave, probably having more guts than his father and half of the guards put together. Napa could see it, when the boy moved that he was injured, he tried to hide it, but he was used to the young Vegeta who was, just as stubborn as his father when the king had been that age.

Napa sighed heavily, wondering if he should offer his assistance in getting the prince out of his armor or just let him suffer quietly… In the end, Napa decided not to interfere, knowing that Vegeta's pride would suffer enough over the next twenty years or so, without his help.

There was no honor in anything that Frieza did anymore, he sealed deals with the lives of children, forced the Saiyans to attack worlds that were completely helpless against them, and kept the king's life mate prisoner to keep him under control. Queen Brianna was not the prince's real mother, that little secret was well known to the queen, and Frieza. Napa knew only because King Vegeta had told him when he had bonded to the girl… at the time Calli had been a slave, her elite birth status lost after she refused to sleep with the king's brother. Calli was a highborn lady, her bloodlines were excellent and had she not been so stubborn, she would have been the ideal candidate for queen. Her father was Corin, the elder elite trainer who was in charge of the prince's training, and Calli was easily the best female elite they had ever seen. Corin was devoted to his daughter, and blamed the king for Calli's disappearance. They all knew that Frieza knew the truth about the prince not being the son of the queen, but could only hope that Frieza didn't tell the boy. So far Frieza and that bastard Zarbon had not told him, and Napa wasn't sure why, he knew that the two of them always enjoyed the chance to be cruel, so why wouldn't they take it?

Napa shrugged his massive shoulders and settled down in a chair to wait for the end of his guard shift. Much as the prince seemed to think otherwise, Napa liked him a lot, it took incredible courage to stand against Frieza, when even his father would not. True, if he had tried Calli would die, but at the same time, their prince had great determination, and cunning. If Frieza kept his word and didn't kill him, there was no doubt in Napa's mind that the boy was the legendary super Saiyan. It was hard to believe that he was only five he was too smart and dangerous to be so young.

Napa glanced at he door separating him from the prince, he had heard nothing but silence so far, and he sighed… it also wasn't normal for a five year old to be so damn cold hearted. Not once since he was three had the Prince shed a single tear. Things that would've left other Elite Saiyan children catatonic with fear and hysterical tears only angered the prince, and no one liked seeing that. True, both of his parents acted as if they hated him but Napa couldn't help but wonder where the boy came up with the emotional strength to deal with everything alone.

Leaning back in his chair, he wondered what would happen when he and the Prince were deposited on Frieza's ship… would the King and the others succeed? In his heart he knew it would only end in disaster, and yet at the same time, he knew the king would rather die than live without Calli, and their son was the only thing he had left of her. But was it fair to sentence all of their people to death over one child… even as the super Saiyan, Napa had to admit he wasn't sure. But then again, he wasn't the king either, and all their warriors seemed to agree that they couldn't just let Frieza take him.


	3. Time To Go

Disclaimer: I still don't own DBZ…

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 2

" Wake up you little Brat! " The emphasis on the word little was not lost on the sleepy young prince as he rolled over and glared at the view screen containing his father. He just yawned though, and tried to go back to sleep. " I said wake up, it's time for you to get ready to join Lord Frieza aboard his ship… And do try not to disgrace us all by crying or some other such nonsense. "

" I wouldn't cry over you if you begged me to. " Vegeta snapped before he could stop himself, but luckily his father only laughed.

" Glad to hear it, Brat, now get ready and I expect to see you at landing bay 12 in no less than 45 minutes, mustn't keep Lord Frieza waiting, you know. " And with that, his father's image vanished from the screen, leaving the prince to wonder if his father cared at all that today might be the last time they would ever see each other alive… He shivered under the thick blankets and finally sat up. His room wasn't cold, but he was shivering anyway, he didn't like being afraid, and he knew that this was only the beginning. For the next hour or close to it, he was still safe, but beyond that… he was glad that he never ate breakfast or he was sure to loose it later, as it was his stomach already churned uneasily. At least the agony in his ribs had finally subsided during the night.

He glanced around his room and wondered briefly if he would miss it. He snorted of course not, it was pretty, in a decadent sort of flowery style, but he had never really thought of it as being his, since he hadn't been allowed to decorate it himself. He was pretty sure it had once belonged to a female member of the royal family, since no male Saiyan would subject himself to a room this full of pastel blues and greens and flowers… The fountain and the adjoining private gardens were the only reasons he had not demanded different living quarters.

With a heavy sigh, he climbed out of bed and headed for his enormous shower. Finishing his bath quickly, he went to his closet. Since this might be the last time he ever saw his father, Vegeta chose a black and red bodysuit, and the dress armor with the family crest on it. As for the velvet garment denoting his station as prince, he opted for the heavy cloak he had worn for his official coronation six months before. It felt strange to be wearing the cloak after wearing the much smaller and lighter cape every day, but he shrugged, at least if he couldn't stop shivering he could close the cloak around himself and no one would be able to tell.

Closing the platinum clasp of the cloak pin, He studied his reflection in the mirror and sighed. Usually at this time of the morning, he would be joining his father at court for two hours, before heading to the training hall… He was only five why was this happening to him now? As much as he hated sitting in court pretending he was interested in hearing visiting dignitaries trade witty barbs and exchange dagger like glares between firm handshakes and veiled threats, ANYTHING would be better than this. He looked up at the clock on the wall, and took a deep breath… it was time to go.

Looking as regal as a five year old can, Vegeta emerged silently from his bedchamber and held himself up proudly for Napa's inspection. His bodyguard nodded his approval and the two of them left the room without a word or a backward glance. Trying not to think of everything he was loosing Vegeta concentrated on the familiar presence of Napa. The warrior might not be as powerful as the prince, but he had known him all his life, and he knew that the idiot was loyal to a fault. Since he had to go, he was glad that it was Napa who was going with him. Napa seemed to understand; as he made certain that his shadow fell over him as they walked down the seemingly endless corridors. Seeing the business like strides with which they moved, everyone they met quickly got out of their way. Most of them had never seen the prince; he was too carefully guarded by the giant Napa.While those who had seen him remembered all too well his temper. But if they could've read his mind, they would have known there was nothing that could've distracted him from his private thoughts today.

As they approached the outer doors to landing bay 12, Napa glanced down at his young charge and sighed. The slight sound got Vegeta's attention briefly, but he said nothing, and neither did Napa. The door slid open before them silently, revealing Zarbon and Dodoria, who stood casually in front of Frieza's huge ship. Zarbon gave the prince a sickeningly perfect smile, and bowed.

" Good morning, Prince Vegeta, you are early, we were not expecting you for another 15 minutes. Of course, you are welcome, never the less. Frieza is attending to some last minute preparations this morning, so he sent us in his stead. I trust that is all right with you? "

The prince rolled his eyes and forced himself to nod, he wasn't in the mood to talk, especially with one of Frieza's lackeys. In the five years of his life, he had seen enough of Zarbon to know that he was very dangerous, and had a definite skill with handling business even when Frieza wasn't around. Dodoria was an idiot, perhaps a little smarter than Napa, but deep down, Vegeta had always suspected that the fat pink blob was a coward, something that Napa was not. " Yes, but what exactly, are we waiting for? "

" We have no intention of taking you without allowing you time to say goodbye to your father. After all, you won't be seeing each other again for quite some time, you know. "

Vegeta rolled his eyes again and studied the perfectly sculpted face of Zarbon; most Saiyan women weren't as pretty as this amber-eyed bastard. The thought brought a smirk to his features as he wondered how a woman could be attracted to a man who was prettier than she was. Still, it was no secret that Zarbon was never lacking for company when he was on missions with his boss. Vegeta had once heard Napa make a snide comment to Dodoria about Zarbon's rather unique relationship to Frieza and he shivered. That thought was highly disturbing and he hoped that it wouldn't occur to him again… 

" Well, well, Brat, you made it, I trust that you will listen to Frieza and do as he says? Then, when your training is finished, you will return to us. "

" I will not disappoint you, father. " Vegeta said quietly, but didn't bother looking at the king, it was just as well, for the next thing he said was directed at Zarbon.

" Is Lord Frieza already aboard the ship? "

" Yes, did you want to request an audience before we leave? "

" Yes, there is one last thing I wanted to discuss with him. "

" Dodoria, inform Lord Frieza that King Vegeta would like an audience at once. "

" Yes, Zarbon. " Dodoria disappeared into the ship, and returned a few moments later. " Lord Frieza would be glad to see you. Zarbon, I am to take the young Prince to his quarters aboard ship. "

" By all means, it will be a long journey and the sooner he gets settled, the better. If you would follow me, Lord Vegeta… " Zarbon said smoothly, his amber eyes barely hiding his amusement as he cast a last look at the prince.

Vegeta wanted to tell his father not to go, but he didn't he sensed that his father already knew his fate was sealed. He watched the long red cape of his father disappear down the circular corridor and knew that he and Napa were already alone here. Vegeta shivered again, and promised himself that he would not cry. A giant hand came to rest lightly on the shoulder pad of his armor; Vegeta was surprised, but didn't look up, already knowing it was Napa. If Dodoria noticed the unspoken gesture he gave no outward sign of it, and neither did Vegeta, but he wished that he could. Vegeta sensed his bodyguard was proud that he was ignored; because he knew Napa understood that it was his duty to be strong now. Sometimes it was pretty amazing the power that a single gesture could have, Vegeta thought, following Dodoria down the unfamiliar walkway he felt all his hesitation melt away, and when they stopped in front of a dark room, Vegeta walked right in. It was dark, but he looked around casually, then shrugged and sat down on the narrow bed and smirked at Napa as the door was closed between them. Perhaps he could do this after all. 

Well, what do you think so far? In the next few chapters I'll be introducing some of my own characters and Napa's loyalty will be tested, but first I'd like to get some thoughts from my readers, thanks again in advance, and sorry this was such a short chapter, the next few will be longer… I think.


	4. Time to meet Frieza

Disclaimer: Ok does anyone else think it's completely stupid that we have to put these in here? I mean really, if I owned DBZ the stuff I write would (theoretically) be new episodes, not fan fiction… All right, so where was I… ah yes: I do not own DBZ or any other Anime either. So sue me and you will be sorely disappointed, because I have nothing worth taking…

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 3

The small, dark chamber where he had been left was a holding cell on the ship's security deck. Vegeta was already no stranger to space travel he had accompanied his father on several off world attacks, and he was fluent in a dozen languages, the second one he had been trained in, was the one Frieza's empire spoke as Common. As Dodoria had led him along, Vegeta had already begun filing in his memory all the doors and passages for later use.

But for now, he sat on the uncomfortably stiff bed and glanced at the clock on the video screen across the room. 1630. Frieza and his lapdogs had no manners, but he was determined not to complain, he hated being called spoiled, and he didn't care if he starved to death, he wasn't about to ask them for anything. The same with his little holding cell, they wanted him to hate it, and while he did, he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of knowing it. Etiquette training had been hell for him, he remembered with a smirk, but it was going to come in VERY useful, he could see that already. He was determined to be a courteous guest when in the presence of Frieza and his two lapdogs, because he would show his defiance in other ways, all the while maintaining the facade of perfect etiquette and dignity. It was not going to be easy, but he was sure that it was possible, knowing that they would despise the formal manners and speech as much as he would, it would give him something to do, something to concentrate on besides the emptiness in his heart. This was a little game that he had turned on his father when he had insisted that he attend court for two hours of every day when court was in session. True, this would be constant, and no matter how much he wanted to he wouldn't be able to lash out whenever he felt like it, but that only made the game more challenging. He loved a challenge, and this would be good practice for when he was king, someday, after all, he was determined to make a better king than his father had.

It came as no surprise to him that he had been kept waiting for so long, after all, he was sure that his father had tried to fight Frieza during his supposed audience with the pink and lavender alien. It was only his father's vast combat experience that allowed him to defeat Vegeta they both knew it. And he knew that he couldn't defeat Frieza, whose power level when at its maximum was supposedly one million. Vegeta didn't believe it. He sensed Frieza had incredible power, but one million? The very idea was inane, no planet should be able to support life capable of such destruction… or so the theory went. But, on the other hand, Frieza's race could breathe without air, allowing them to survive in space for extended periods of time, there were other known races capable of such a feat, but only the ice-jin were such powerful fighters, and the Kold Empires had forbidden war on their home planet, that was the reason the reason they conquered other worlds, allowing their rulers to compete with each other in other ways, who ever gained the largest empire between Koola and Frieza would inherit King Kold's vast empire eventually. But for now, King Kold was still stronger than his two sons, and was content to over see his own empire, and make certain that his sons did not fight over it, not in one on one battles, and not through their vast armies either.

Vegeta often wondered what it would be like to have a brother, or even a sister… He knew that the Queen had suffered two miscarriages during the first part of her reign. The first two would've been daughters, so, it was probably just as well that they had not been born. The loss of what would've been his older brother was a bit harder to take. An assassin had broken into the palace, and attacked the Queen less than a week before the unborn prince was to be removed from her and placed safely into a growth chamber. No one knew to this day what had killed his sisters, but Zarbon knew more than he was letting on about the death of the other prince. Vegeta was certain of that after all, it had been Zarbon that told him about his three siblings that were never born. 

Zarbon was a very strong fighter, but it was his intelligence and polished manners that made Frieza place him at the Saiyan royal court, he was assigned to help guard the king's palace as many of the Elite guards had to be sent on purge missions to meet Frieza's outrageous demands, and Dodoria was often there as well. But it was Zarbon that relayed Frieza's instructions and demands to the king, and the Prince had seen that the handsome amber-eyed alien had no qualms about asserting himself into conversations that he considered of interest to Frieza. 

Vegeta still could not remember what had happened the night he had gotten out of the tank, and he was starting to wonder if his memory of it was being repressed somehow. He had met Frieza a few times, and knew what he looked like, but couldn't recall ever actually talking to him. Sometimes when he concentrated on remembering the meeting he felt as if there was something blocking his mind from bringing the images to his mind. The only thing he knew for sure was that there had been a fight of some kind. But if someone was playing mind games with him, why wouldn't they have made certain that he was fully healed before he woke up… unless wondering was also part of the game, he was supposed to know that he had lost, but not what or why…

The heavy door of the cell slid open silently, interrupting his thoughts and revealed Zarbon, silhouetted against the hall lights filtering into the still dark room. " Prince Vegeta, I trust that you have acquainted yourself to your new room? "

" Yes, thank you. " Vegeta said with a lot of sarcasm.

" This will be adequate for you, I trust? "

" Yes, so nice of Lord Frieza to give me a private room, don't you think? " Vegeta said in mock surprise and innocence. 

Zarbon's amused little smirk fell, as he stared at the Saiyan prince for a moment. Knowing what was going through his mind, Vegeta smirked. He was right, they had hoped that he would complain, wanting to humble him. " Did you want to see me about something, Zarbon? Or are you just there to let some light in? "

Zarbon laughed, he couldn't help it, one it was actually funny, and two, he had expected to enter and be assaulted by a five year old flame-haired little demon demanding to see Frieza at once, furious at their obvious lapse in hospitality, his pathetic cell, the fact that it was dark, and there was no light switch and wondering where his bodyguard was. This was the first time he had ever thought of the little prince as being something besides a spoiled brat. He knew that the prince had to be seething inside, but if he was smart enough to know he was being goaded into complaining without Napa telling him, well, Zarbon thought, then this was going to be interesting. Zarbon wished that he had been as clever as the little brat grinning at him so innocently. He shivered not wanting to remember the things he had been put through… " Well perhaps you might like to join Lord Frieza for dinner, if you are feeling up to it. "

" I would be honored. " Again there was too much sweetness in his tone, but Zarbon couldn't chastise him for trying to be nice when he wasn't really feeling it. Frieza had said to drag the brat to him if he wouldn't come, and to make him show the proper respect. Frieza had said nothing about what to do if he was already minding his manners.

" Would you like to see Napa, and do you need anything before I take you to see Frieza? "

"Thank you, but no to both questions. "

" Come this way then, my Prince. "

' Finally, you idiot ' Vegeta wanted to say, but he didn't preferring instead to talk back in his thoughts rather than out loud. He fell in step behind Zarbon, and soon found himself in front of a large pair of double doors. The doors slid open to reveal a very large chamber it was sparsely decorated, but obviously a throne room of some kind. Gathered in this room, were at least one hundred warriors of various sizes and descriptions, and while he found himself wondering what their power levels were, he knew better than to activate his scouter and check. He was not here to fight, and checking power levels was considered an aggressive act. Adjusting his cloak about his shoulders, he entered proudly, ignoring the presence of the other warriors, he felt each of them glaring at him as he passed through their ranks. Any lesser creature would have been paralyzed with fear, but Vegeta held himself up defiantly under their obvious hostility and made his way to the front of the room where Frieza waited on his oversized throne. Vegeta smirked, noting that Frieza looked like a child sitting on the massive throne, a pouting child, for that matter, and Vegeta wondered what he had to be upset about, he wasn't the one that had been taken from everything he knew and cared about. 

" You sent for me, Lord Frieza? " His voice was strong and commanding, yet polite, even though Vegeta let it show in his eyes that he hated the small pink alien before him.

" Down on one knee when you speak before Lord Frieza! " Growled a guard standing close to him and the throne. When the prince made no move to comply, the guard tried to attack, but if he thought he was going to surprise him, he was mistaken. The guard was enormous easily as large as Napa and probably even a bit bigger, but Vegeta hadn't flinched, he simply narrowed his eyes into the most evil look he had ever given anyone. 

" I am a prince in my own right, peasant. " Vegeta growled as the massive guard flinched under the weight of his glare. " Had I been properly announced, you would know that. "

Frieza sat up a little on his throne and stared in amazed curiosity at the five year old that had just stared down a high-ranking officer in his personal guard. The slightest hint of a smile settled over the doll-like features of the alien lord. He chuckled softly as the guard took a step away from the young prince, the display of courage from his latest acquisition was impressive, but he could not allow the men on his ship to fear anyone before himself. " Indeed, Captain Balder, this is Prince Vegeta, he and his guard Napa will be joining us. I expect both of them to be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy it has been a long time since we have been graced by the presence of Saiyan royalty, but not long enough that we should have forgotten our manners. I apologize for the oversight, young prince; I know that I can speak for all of my men when I say that it will not happen again. "

' Sure it won't ' Vegeta rolled his eyes, finally releasing the guard from his sharp look. Forcing himself to regain his composure as he turned his attention back to Frieza, he nodded curtly. His annoyance at being slighted in his entrance was secondary to his relief that his first impression with Frieza's men would go a long way toward keeping them away from him. Zarbon and Dodoria would not have backed down, and he knew exactly how lucky he was that neither of them had been close enough to do that instead of the guard. Since he wasn't announced it would've been their duty to force him to kneel. The idea of kneeling before that tyrant was infuriating, but he had played his cards perfectly and Frieza had not. Still, he knew that round one was far from over in this battle, and he prayed that Frieza would continue to play by the rules of etiquette. He was outnumbered badly enough that he was dead in a single second if he angered Frieza too much, but this was his only defense, and he was not going to give it up without a fight.

" Come, Prince Vegeta, I would like you to join me for dinner. " Frieza said suddenly, rising from his throne. He was led into a smaller room adjoining his throne room, it was a formal dinning room, and while its table would seat twenty easily, it was set for two now. " Please, sit down. Do you understand why I have decided to train you? "

" Not really. " Vegeta admitted, with some hesitation, drawing a chuckle from his host.

" You are shrewd and intelligent enough to know when you are about to reveal a weakness, but still honest… quite a contradiction. You will be far greater than your father. " 

" I know. "

Frieza laughed outright. " In the next 20 years I will mold you into a warrior and leader of rare power, some of these lessons will be difficult, even painful for you, but I am fairly confident that you will survive. Especially after that little display in the other room, tell me, did you know that you were going to be slighted, and the consequences or did you just react? "

" I don't see why it matters now, things went in my favor but you still hold all the cards, set things up a little differently and your little lesson for me in humility would've gone much differently. "

Frieza's garnet eyes took on a sinister glint. " Answer the question, and then I will tell you why it matters. "

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stopped eating long enough to consider his words carefully. " I… noticed that I wasn't being announced, but I just reacted. "

Frieza shrugged nodding slightly, settling back in his chair watching him for a moment.

" Just out of curiosity, why aren't you eating? "

Frieza chuckled, finally picking up his fork and began to eat. " You are perceptive and have excellent instincts, I can see already it will be hard to fool you or distract you. Don't worry; I have worked too hard to get you here to poison you already. I was wondering when you would notice that. "

" It is very good, I noticed immediately, I was wondering if I could have yours if you didn't want it. "

Frieza chuckled again. " Finally decided to say something befitting a five year old? I have to admit, I was beginning to wonder… As for your reception in my throne room, I want you to know that it was not purely a lesson in humility. There may be times where you will be purposely slighted by those you will deal with, and depending on who is around, you may be forced to act to defend yourself. Today you managed it without a fight you might not have been so lucky had someone else been closer to you. But you already mentioned that, so I do not think there will ever be another repeat of that incident either privately with a small gathering between us or in another large gathering…besides, I'm sure my former guard captain and his embarrassing display have made the rounds throughout my ship and halfway to his home planet by now… Along with the tale of your icy glare… I don't think we could get the same effect the second time. "

" I was under the impression that you were just out to embarrass me. " Vegeta said, coldly, obviously not entirely believing his host.

" You don't trust me, but I assure you that you will, in time. "

' Time… ' Vegeta sighed, loosing his appetite. ' That would be the one thing I still have, and the one thing I don't particularly want. But you are wrong about one thing… I will never trust you. '

Frieza smirked almost imperceptibly at that, until Vegeta learned to guard his thoughts as well as he guarded his expressions, even in his mind he was not safe arguing with his new teacher. ' We'll see, little prince, we shall see. '

Well… questions, comments?Please know that this entire story is still in it's FIRSTDRAFT stage so far, and I was hesitant about posting it, but after I put up the prologue, and read your excited comments I decided to post a little more. With this section though, things get a little tricky because no one really knows exactly how Vegeta and Frieza reacted to each other when he was growing up. Remember, sometimes caution is the better part of valor, and Veggie-Chan is easily smart enough to know that, especially because he hasn't had a whole lot of experience kicking a$$ and taking names. Besides, he's only five and he's just spent the worst day of his life completely alone, I think I'd be a little occ too, after all that. And, uh, now that I'm done babbling, I think I'll go immerse myself in a nice big lemon fic for a while… Please r/r, but be kind, please…


	5. You are a princess?

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any other Anime

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 4

Vegeta sat in his small dark cell again the following day wondering why Frieza had suddenly turned silent the night before. He had minded his manners perfectly, and had said nothing untoward, and yet all through the rest of dinner there was tense silence between them. The only thing he could think of that might have caused it, were the things he had said only to himself… Was Frieza capable of reading minds?

It was the only possibility, and that worried him much more than anything else. Even bonded Saiyans didn't really read the thoughts of their mate. They shared their thoughts and emotions. He knew this instinctively, even though he was not going to have to go through that foolishness, as it was no longer a part of his father's bloodline. So if Frieza was reading his thoughts how was he doing it? Saiyans, as natural telepaths, had strong minds and wills and possessed natural mental barriers to any intrusive presence in their thoughts. Well, if Frieza was reading his mind, he would just have to concentrate on stopping him…

" But Daddy! " Bra cried tugging impatiently on his shirt. " What happened next? Did you have another fight with that awful Frieza? And what was happening to Napa? Were they nasty to him too? " 

Vegeta arched one eyebrow glancing at the entranced audience gathered around him. Were they all still here? He had been hoping the others would leave; he didn't really want anyone but his mate and his children to hear about the next part… even after so long, it still cut him deeply. To have lost Shani to Frieza still hurt him more even now than the loss of his planet and his father…

" Daddy? " Bra looked at him curiously.

" What? "

" Are you ok, Daddy? "

" I am fine, princess, now be quiet if you want me to keep going, got it? "

She lowered her head and nodded slowly. " I just want to know why you look sad now, that's all. "

Vegeta rolled his eyes… " In a few minutes I'll be telling all of you idiots something I have never ever told anyone… one of the other children Frieza took was a girl that was like no one I had ever met. Her name was Shani, and she was a princess too. "

" She was? She was a princess like me? " Bra climbed onto Vegeta's lap and stared up at him, her blue eyes as big as saucers. 

" Yes, Frieza made sure that I saw Shani often, getting me attached to her without me realizing it. I never knew how lonely I was until I met her, and I hated him for introducing us. Sure I could talk to Napa, but it wasn't the same… "

" Yeah, if she was a princess that makes her a girl. " Yamcha snickered, to Puar.

" Whatever you are insinuating, don't get too attached to the idea, I was still only five, you pathetic weakling. "

" Daddy, " Bra chided gently, " Be nice. What was she like, was she nice? "

" Do you want to hear the story or don't you? "

Of course we do, Vegeta, " Krillin said, glancing at the others, and they nodded, even Piccolo and Gohan were still paying attention. " I was just wondering about something else… " 

" What? "

" When did you find out about your real mom, when Napa couldn't tell you about her? I mean. Napa didn't seem like the type of guy to disobey orders. "

" He wouldn't have and he didn't tell me, not at first, anyway. Dodoria did, he was too stupid to know that he was teasing me about something I had never been told. I was ten when I found out about her. But Napa told me everything that he knew about her and my father, after I confronted him about it. We would have gotten to this eventually, trust me. I could see why they had kept it from me at first, but knowing that my father actually bonded makes it a little easier to explain us. "

" You keep saying that your real mom disappeared, do you mean that she died in secret of was she kidnapped? " Bulma wondered out loud, and got a dark look from Vegeta.

" Well, my mother was sent away on mission after mission after she lost a formal challenge to the Queen. While on one of these missions she was badly injured enough that when one of Frieza's recovery teams reported her dead, my father believed them. When I was a year old, she apparently woke up in a malfunctioning stasis chamber long enough to contact my father through their bond, she was put under again before she could even figure out where she was but Napa and my father were positive that Frieza had kept her alive somewhere. Frieza knew better than to say it outright, but he hinted at it enough to keep my father under control. You asked me once why they tried to remove bonding from the noble class that is why. Are you done with these stupid questions now? I will tell you more about this later, woman, but not for a while yet." 

" Ok, so keep going already… I never knew you were so good at telling stories though, Dad. " Trunks chuckled, ducking in case anything were to come flying at his head, but nothing did. " This is pretty cool. "

" Yeah, tell us about the little princess now, pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaase? "

Vegeta grumbled something VERY uncomplimentary about Frieza and his hobbies and Zarbon and then grunted; trying to remember where had left off. Unable to remember, he skipped ahead three weeks and shivered remembering with some awe as the small, strange looking ship appeared on the view screen…

" What do you suppose that thing is? " Napa had wondered out loud, as he and the young prince waited in the throne room for Frieza and Zarbon's return to the ship. Rumor had it that they would be bringing a new 'guest' for Frieza's training school. The planet before them was a rich, brilliant blue- violet that appeared to be at least 90% covered in water. It was a huge planet, even bigger that Planet Vegeta and he studied it curiously, with its rich color and size it would be very valuable to Frieza, who Vegeta had noticed collected planets like other kings collect rare gems and gold. 

" It's obviously a ship. "

Napa gave an indignant snort. " But what idiot would make a star craft out of a pathetic substance like wood? " 

From across the throne room, Dodoria laughed, sounding like someone slurping their soup or something, Vegeta gave him a sharp glare. " What is so funny? "

" Nothing, my prince, except that anyone messing with that ship would be in for a wicked surprise. "

" What do you mean? "

" That ship is a part of the Empress of the Elves imperial navy, it may look fragile, and too beautiful to fly, but that ship is three times faster and more agile than this one, and it's defenses are magical. "

" Magic doesn't exist. "

" It does here, these Elves have powers that ki can not duplicate, and I would not want to be on their bad side. Elves are strange, they love life and beauty, most of them are peaceful if left to their own devices, and they are very intelligent and mystical too. The Elven princess will be brought on board today. She just celebrated her 25th birthday. "

" Yeah, and we care because… " Vegeta smirked and let the statement hang.

" Among Elves the princess is the same age as you are, Elves age much more slowly than most other races. Oh yes, and when she and the Empress come aboard, try not to drool. "

" I am a prince, you babbling idiot, I never drool. "

" We'll see. " Said the disgusting pink blob, giving the two Saiyans a knowing look. " Here comes the flagship now, take a look for yourself. "

With grace befitting a ship a tenth of the size of the one joining them, the flagship came to rest gently at the side of Frieza's ship. The entire thing was gilded in gold, and silver, and its crew was astonishingly well turned out, even for a momentous occasion like this. Their uniforms were strange, but glimmered under the soft light of the moons and stars around them. Their armor was beautiful, even if it looked cumbersome and heavy, made of steel; it too took on an ethereal glow, as did their metal swords and pole arms.

Still, that was not what held his attention onto the ship… Frieza and Zarbon stood on its deck, talking to the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her build was lithe and willowy, giving her a lean, graceful appearance that was only enhanced by the beauty of her face. She was so delicate and perfectly sculpted in every detail that even Zarbon paled in comparison. Vegeta chuckled at that, knowing how vain the blue-green alien was probably going insane with jealousy. Her large silver eyes were openly sad as she hugged the tiny little girl standing in her shadow. The Empress carried herself with a royal grace unlike anything Vegeta had ever seen, she was majestic and confident in her unbelievable beauty, and each movement was marked by sensual grace that would make a leopard jealous. She wore a long gown of silk and gossamer, the bottom pooled at her feet, shimmering as if she were standing in a pool of soft white light. The gown clung to her, defining her graceful form without having a revealing cut. The crown that she wore was made of platinum and gold, accented in diamonds of white and richly shimmering yellow. It was hard to look away from her; he had never seen anyone before or since that had such a majestic presence and regal bearing.

The little girl standing in her shadow was a smaller version of her mother, although she was crying and her mother was not. The girl would be as beautiful as her mother one day, but for now she was merely very pretty, her angelic face framed by long, waves of shimmering golden hair, that reached the middle of her back. Her clothing was similar to her mothers, but not as tight, and topped by a richly brocaded gold cloak that was pushed behind her slim shoulders and clasped by a platinum and yellow diamond broach. On her head she wore an elegant tiara that looked a lot like the crown her mother wore, except that only one of the diamonds on hers was yellow, the one at the top center spire of the platinum masterpiece.

Within moments, the throne room was filled with the guards of both Frieza's ship, and the Empress's. Dodoria, Napa and both sets of the other guards bowed low as the Empress and Frieza entered the room, Vegeta was only required to nod, so he did. Having gotten the need to stare at the two startlingly beautiful females out of his system already, he merely watched them with curiosity, as they made their way to the front of the room. 

" My lady it is with the utmost certainty that I can tell you, Princess Shannelle will be perfectly safe and in the most capable hands possible. And, when she is returned to you, rest assured that she would be up to any task that might be required of her. Ah, and please allow me to introduce another of my young pupils; this is Prince Vegeta, of the Saiyans. Prince Vegeta, this is Empress Shinesta Silversong of the Elves. This is Princess Shannelle, heiress to the Elven throne; perhaps you could take her on a bit of a tour, for me, young Prince? "

" Of course, Lord Frieza, I would be honored. " Inwardly he was annoyed that he was still being pushed aside as Frieza got down to serious business, but Frieza ate dinner with him and Zarbon almost every night and the three of them would debate theory of government, the dignitaries they had seen and the other two would just generally try to trap him or trick him into breaking his courtly manners. So far he had been lucky.

He took the little girl's hand gently and led her out, still absorbed in his thoughts, until he heard her giggle." What is so funny, my lady? "

" You are too young to have such elegant speech. Even I find the formality difficult, sometimes and I'm sure I'm older than you are. "

" What does that have to do with anything? "

" Well, I don't know, it just seems funny to me that you are so interested in all that political trash they are talking. "

" How can you say that? Don't you want to rule one day? "

" Well, no, not really… I mean I know I'll have to eventually, but I'm just a kid. I know I don't want all that responsibility! I would prefer to practice my magic and sing, if it was up to me, but mother said I had to learn to be a lady. "

Vegeta chuckled at the sneer in her voice as she'd emphasized the word lady. " I know nothing of magic, but I would like to be able to practice more as well. "

" Really, what do you do for fun? "

His features arranged themselves into a smirk. "I am a Saiyan, we are fighters."

She gave him an odd look. " Why? "

" Why not? That is just what we do. We are very good at it too; perhaps we will get to spar some time. "

She giggled, " Fighting isn't any fun, I don't want to fight, my mother and I rather enjoy the peace and quiet, there hasn't been a war on Talon in 16 Elven generations. We would kind of like to keep it that way. Oh, my… that's so cute! You have a tail! May I see? "

" No, you may not…and it isn't cute. " He said stiffly, wrapping his tail back around his waist.

She giggled again, " Yes it is, and so are you. "

"I can't believe YOU are a princess. "

" Why, just because I want to have fun and you don't? Don't you want to be friends? "

" What use would I have for a friend like you? "

She scowled and glared at him, he glared back and the two of them just stood in the corridor for a while, until finally she giggled again… uh, that guy Zarbon… is it just me or is he just a little strange? "

" You could say that… he's very strange, unfortunately, he's strong enough that I can't beat him yet. "

" What do you mean? "

" Frieza forced my father to send me here, the moment I become a super Saiyan, I am going to destroy Frieza. Dodoria and Zarbon are both almost as cruel as Frieza, and I intend to kill them both as soon as I can, that way it'll just be Frieza and I. "

The little girl gave him an astonished look. " I… how can you say that?"

" It's easy, I meant it. "

She shivered a little as he started to continue through the hall, and wondered for a moment how anyone so young could be so coldhearted. It wasn't right and she wondered how she was supposed to help him he wasn't the type to ask for help, but she knew somehow that he needed her, the future depended on him somehow, and she didn't know why yet, her divination spells were still not very strong yet but her mother had told her that she had to go with Frieza, it was her destiny. Her mother didn't really want to send her, but Elves know better than trying to fight destiny, as it will use any means necessary to see that everything eventually comes to pass. " Wait! "

" What for? You aren't scared, are you? "

" So what if I am? "

" You are a princess, right? "

"Yes, but so what? "

" So, Frieza won't hurt you, he collects young royals as bargaining chips against their parents. Now that he has you, he won't hurt you. "

" How can you be so sure? "

" You are obviously not a warrior, so he doesn't see you as a threat. He will take you wherever it is that he is taking me, and is going to train us, just like he said he would. "   
  


" But how do you know it for sure? You don't look at all magical; I doubt your divination spells are… "

" Magic? " Vegeta laughed, " No, I don't practice the lost art… I just know that at least for now, Frieza will not kill me. I am going to be the next Super Saiyan, and it is my destiny to kill him for what he has done. He will train the very instrument of his demise. I say let him if he is that stupid, to think he is invincible. "

" Lost art? Magic isn't a lost art, it's real, and all things that live and breathe are connected to it. Magic is what allows us to dream… and keeps hope alive when there is no real reason to believe anymore. If you really believe that you are what you say you will become, then it is strong in you. You will need it when it comes time to prove it. "

" A Saiyan that needs magic? " He laughed, shaking his head. " I don't believe it exists… "

" Would you like me to show you that it does? "

" Not particularly, but, how would you?"

" Easy, " The girl smiled at him, as she whispered a few word in a language he had never heard. A moment later he saw a tiny ball of light rise from her hands, she blew on it softly, and it took a shape, that of a dragon, it was tiny, shinning in the corridor lights like a thousand diamonds. Its scales materialized quickly, spines and two wings grew from its back, and it opened its eyes, looking the two of them over boldly. As it continued to take shape, Vegeta felt a little strange, as if he were suddenly staring into a mirror… The tiny dragon was a rich deep blue and its eyes glowed softly in their own light, they were violet and disturbingly clear. When it was fully formed, its scales rippled smoothly over its body and with every move, they shimmered slightly, creating an image of great beauty and intense power. When he looked into its eyes again, he knew that this was somehow a mirror of him. Finally he turned to her and noted her surprised expression.

" What is that? "

She giggled. " Wow, you must be a truly gifted warrior, I've never met anyone with the dragon spirit before. "

" What do you mean, dragon spirit? "

" Elves believe that all people have a likeness to a certain type of animal, or creature, in some cases it is strong enough to actually call forth the spirit of the creature. You must have a very strong will, because my magic isn't that powerful yet. "

" What do you mean, I didn't want you to show me a dragon. "

The elf giggled. " No silly, that isn't the point of the spell, you cast the spell and the magic inside of you takes care of the rest, it doesn't have anything at all to do with your conscious mind. The spirit creature is the symbol of your greatest asset; the winged dragon is interpreted as cunning and determination. Wow, " Shani bowed to the creature, and it dipped its elegant head, and its beautifully arched neck. The dragon said something to the girl, and she giggled, reaching out to pet it, as she said something back. To Vegeta's surprise, her hand met with smooth blue scales, and the animal leaned into her touch, making a deep rumbling sound of pleasure. Vegeta had never heard such a language as the dragon and Shani spoke, it was beautiful, very melodic, and pleasing to listen to. Finally she said something he could understand. " Thank you for coming, great one, it has been a while since I have been in the presence of a dragon. "

The dragon chuckled, " I know better than that Princess, but thank you anyway. So… You are my match in spirit? A boy? A mere child? "

" I happen to be a prince, and my name is Vegeta, or Prince Vegeta, to you... And aren't dragons supposed to be bigger? "

" Really, that is quite a temper you have, " The dragon chuckled, watching him for a moment. The creature's eyes still glowing faintly as he studied the young prince, the dragon's eyes took on a hard look, and finally he spoke again. " Every time a dragon is born, there is born one person to match them… Destiny shrouds herself from my vision, but I sense that there is much in store for you. Another dragon was born earlier this year, young prince, and it is your destiny to find him one day… I am sure of it. I have long wondered who my spirit match was, and as I am very old I feared I would never meet you, not all spirit matches get to meet, in fact I would say very few do, so I thank you, Princess, for introducing us. There is great strength in you; I only hope that it is enough, as your path is a very long one. "

" I do not fear my destiny. " Vegeta said bravely, telling himself that he would grow into it… but knew in his heart that he was afraid, more than he could ever admit to… He wished again that he was in his room at the palace and could just hide under his covers until the pain in his heart subsided, allowing him to rest in peace. Since Napa had told him they were leaving, he hadn't really slept at all, nightmares plagued him and sometimes he had to force himself into eating. Napa didn't say it, but he was beginning to worry about him, Vegeta could tell, it was in his eyes every time he looked at him…

" It is alright to fear the unknown, Prince Vegeta," the dragon said gently. " It is how you deal with fear that defines your character, and your life… I fear that your path will be a very dark one… Frieza will use any means necessary to get you to do his bidding, and in time you will learn to harden yourself to his ruthless tactics, but you must not give up, there is good in you and if you let Frieza destroy it, it won't matter if you kill him, because he will still have won the war. "

" I am a Saiyan, the last Prince, to be exact, and I am neither on the side of good or evil, my destiny is mine to shape and I will do so, with or without your consent, or your help. "

As she watched him leave, Shani turned sadly to the dragon. " Is he really as strong as he pretends? "

" If he isn't, it will be a dark day in the universe when Frieza manages to break him. What would rise from the ashes is… the power he wants, but it would cost him everything, I can only hope he realizes that power isn't worth loosing his heart and soul over… and Frieza isn't even the worst thing he will one day face. "

" What?!? " 

The dragon nodded solemnly, " There are evils out there much worse than Frieza, but there is hope, Frieza has not broken him yet, so he might not. The young prince has the courage to endure, but at this age, he is more vulnerable than even he knows. You must know that Frieza will use you to get to Vegeta… if he can, so please… be careful Princess. "

Well, sorry it's been so long… in all the snow I had a bit of a car accident… my first ever and hopefully the last…and this is my first time in a while being on my computer. Anyway… I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Those of you wondering about the size of the dragon… well that will be explained in the story… What do you think so far? Please review!! I'll beg… who am I kidding, I am begging! Hehe, well thanks for all the great reviews so far, I REEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAALLY appreciate them, just with all the hits I've gotten so far, couldn't anyone else say something too? Ah well, on to chapter five… or maybe another random lemon…* Purrs evilly *


	6. An interesting evening at dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, the characters or any other anime, and I probably never will… * grumbles* I also do NOT own AD&D, the likenesses of its gold elves, blue dragons or liches. The characters Shani, Cereus, Empress Shinesta, and The Forgotten King are mine, as is the world called Talon. And… when I get my scanner working, I will be posting pics of them, and all the other characters in Shadows of the Past, and if you would like to use any of them, either their characters or their pictures, I will be happy to allow it if you e-mail me and ask first. With that little bit of unpleasantness out of the way, I am happy to present…

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 5

When Vegeta got back to his 'chamber' he was surprised to find Napa waiting for him. The huge Saiyan got up as he saw the evil expression his young charge was wearing; it had been nearly three weeks since he had seen such a dark expression on his face. " What happened, my prince? "

" Shut up, Napa. "

Napa arched one eyebrow in surprise, he was used to being told to shut up, but there was no heat in it this time, he sounded more thoughtful than angry… " Frieza and Zarbon request your presence at dinner tonight. "

" I don't care, Napa. I suppose that little brat will be there too? "

" Yes. " Napa had to bite down VERY hard on his lip to keep from laughing. The idea of the prince calling anyone else a brat was strangely satisfying… " I take it you don't want to see her again? "

" Did you deduce that all by yourself? Well Napa, I am astonished… Now, kindly drop dead for a while. " 

" I would gladly die for you, my prince, but only in battle. " Napa chuckled, as he turned to the door. " This may be the wrong time to mention this, but you are to keep the princess entertained for the remainder of the journey. "

" That bastard! " Vegeta cried indignantly, but just as suddenly berated himself for allowing his emotions to get the better of him this time. He knew what they were doing, but he couldn't stop them, being a good guest meant helping to amuse other guests, and he had guessed that they would use this little rule of etiquette to their utmost advantage, he just hadn't expected them to do it so soon. " This is going to play hell with my training time, I can tell already. "

Dinner was actually pleasant for once, Zarbon and Frieza made no attempts to get him angry or to humiliate him, and Shani was careful not to say anything about the little incident in the hall, with the tiny dragon. Vegeta though, was having trouble with keeping his mind on business, whether this was because of the sudden lull in the game with Frieza and Zarbon, or due to the presence of Shani, he wasn't sure. He did notice, though, that he seemed to be looking at her a lot… 

She had changed out of her finery, and now wore a fine suede leather outfit; it was a pair of pants and a white silk shirt with a leather vest and boots that reached just above the knee and there was a short sword buckled to her waist. Sitting at the table, he couldn't see her outfit anymore, but it was still a distraction, he had never seen a woman wearing actual pants before. They hugged her body as if they were a bodysuit and he could tell if she dressed this way when she was older, men were going to fall all over themselves just to get a look at her. She didn't appear to notice, her outfit had caught the curiosity of Frieza and Zarbon either, and she just continued to eat, minding her table manners carefully. Her golden hair was now braided back, and it allowed the others present a look at her neatly pointed ears. Vegeta had always thought Saiyans had rather large ears… her ears were large, but cute, in an odd sort of way. They looked like pretty normal ears, until one got to what should be the end of the ear, where they came to a sharp, but elegant point. Like the rest of her, her ears were and elegant and finely sculpted. The soft light of the dinning room gave her golden skin a lustrous glow that made her seem even more delicate and ethereal than she had she had in the throne room or on their little tour.

The tranquil calm at the table, though, was not to last, as Frieza addressed the princess." My lady, your mother tells me that you are an accomplished musician, after dinner, would you grace us with a song? " 

She blushed and looked down. " I would love to… "

" You are a princess, my lady never lower your eyes when you speak. " Zarbon chided gently, she blushed, and bit her lip giggling, trying not to look down. 

" I am sorry, my lord. It will not happen again. "

Vegeta snorted but said nothing. He was willing to bet that she would keep getting in trouble for that for a while, she was very shy at times, he had noticed she didn't like it when the conversation at the table shifted to her. She was almost the exact same height that he was or maybe a little shorter, but she was so lean and graceful that she seemed taller. The short sword at her waist he was a little curious about, it seemed too big for her, could she use it, he wondered, or was it purely for decoration…

" Prince Vegeta, after our guest finishes her song, perhaps you might return her to her room and play a game of tarchen with her? "

" Certainly, sire, but what sort of a game is tarchen? "

" Think of it as an Elven version of towers and kings. " Zarbon answered.

" Lord Frieza, " Shani interrupted quietly, " I'm not so sure that that would be such a good idea, you see, tarchen is a purely Elven game, and it is so because a single game can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, and that is with beginning players. Advanced and truly gifted players like the dean at the college of wizardry, and the head librarian, have been playing for 75 years on the game they have going now, and they are still on their first board. "

" First board? "

" Yes, you see, tarchen is an ancient game, devised as a way to get the first empress and her husband to get to know each other. It worked, but the game has a lot more rules than your towers and kings, but since elves tend to live far longer than other races, one can expect to have plenty of time to learn them. The three boards are stacked on top of each other and moving any one piece on any board will affect the other two, so you must be careful, especially if you haven't cleared the first two and you move a piece on the top board. "

Frieza gave the charming little girl a thoughtful look, and then glanced at Vegeta, who knew exactly what he was thinking… " Well, the game sounds like a very interesting one to me… Perhaps you two could start your game on the ship, and continue it when we reach our destination. "

It really sucked being right…the look Vegeta sent him could've melted sand into glass, but of course, the ice-jin was completely nonplused. ' Well, young prince, just think what that girl will look like in about ten years… ' Frieza said into his mind. ' You know that their aging process speeds up to even out with most other known races before slowing down again at the apparent age of about 15 to 20. Elves are eternally beautiful. Her mother is over a thousand years old. '

Vegeta gave him a thoroughly disgusted look. ' Why would I care? I'll keep the little twit busy for you, but I have no interest in taking a mate. Especially not such a… an obnoxious one. " 

Frieza blinked in surprise when he got the telepathic transmission from his young pupil. He knew that Saiyans were natural telepaths, but he had closed his mind, and the little brat had still gotten through! ' We shall see, Prince Vegeta, we shall see. ' 

Noticing that the atmosphere at the table had gotten extremely tense, Shani had gone to get her flute, and her bag so that she could begin her song and her illustration spells. She reentered the room looking excited but nervous and turned to her hosts with a gracious and elegant courtesy. " I know mostly Elven music, although I will be happy to learn other styles of music, as I encounter them. If it would please you, Lord Frieza, I would like to play and illustrate the tale of the great Dragon Cereus. He is a magnificent Blue dragon, and I hope that wherever he is, he approves of my song. "

Shani sent Vegeta a bright smile; her silver eyes glimmered with an almost metallic luster in the softly lit room. Then, she closed her eyes and raised the flute to her lips; the first notes of the song were soft, and sweet, calling to mind a moment of peace, and tranquility. Then, as she continued to play, she reached into the bag in front of her, and pulled out a softly shimmering white diamond of enormous beauty and quality. An almost imperceptible pause in the music, and the diamond rose from her hand, exploding into a sunburst of light and color, and as it did, there appeared in the pool of light, a shape. The hatchling dragon was a rich, deep blue, and his eyes were an incredible shade of bright violet, seeming to glow with their own inner fire… It was strange to realize that this was the same dragon that she had called forth as his spirit match. But as he watched he felt as if he were seeing an old friend, he shivered, uncertain of what to make of this vision. And he could only hope Frieza didn't make too much out of this later… The music continued and as it did, he found himself watching the entire life story of his spirit match. The dragon was huge in the vision, but had fit neatly in the palm of Shani's hand during its appearance on the ship that puzzled him, but he was too entranced to interrupt the story with questions. As he reached full adulthood, Cereus landed on a castle, wrapped its tail around it twice, and rained down fire from its enormous maw. The inhabitants had died quickly, and Vegeta felt the animal's adrenaline rush as it took to flight again, heading for a nearby village, which he also destroyed with the ease of an Oorazu, then continued on flying low over the ocean, there, it reached an island and entered a cave by casting some type of a spell, and making himself little… Small enough to fit in the palm of an elf, he noted with a wry smile. Flying through the cavern of its lair, the now tiny dragon reached a mammoth room, where it resumed its natural size, and dropped a huge pile of gems and gold onto its already massive horde.

As the dragon slept, a group of people the size of insects snuck in and Vegeta noticed the dragon was even bigger here than where he had destroyed the town and castle. The dragon awakened as one of the people began casting a spell… The spell was pure evil, Vegeta felt it like a slap in the face and watched in horror as the beautiful dragon reared back on its haunches and roared in rage and pain. Cereus's brilliant blue scales turned to jet-black, as its eyes turned to liquid gold. But his transformation wasn't done, the dragon roared again in pain as huge spines and horns erupted from his elegant head, which was also changing. His already huge mouth became larger; the teeth inside of it doubled in size, and his head became broader, the eyes slanted just slightly, as if arranged in a permanent scowl. Then, just as Cereus was collapsing in shock and pain, a massive collar appeared around the base of his finely arched neck. Made of platinum and adorned with a star sapphire five men couldn't lift, it should have been beautiful, but it was an ugly reminder of his servitude to his new master, and it seared the flesh upon which it lay, sending a plume of smoke into the roof of the cavernous room. For a moment, Cereus lay helpless on the pile of his treasure, as the spell caster and his men began to load the horde and take it and the dragon away.

Vegeta shivered he knew what that felt like… loosing everything… without meaning to, he glanced at Frieza, and was disturbed to note that he was watching him too. A slow, icy smile crossed Frieza's face as he turned back to watch the story. Vegeta could only say one thing… he knows… 

Shuddering again, Vegeta also forced his attention back to the story and watched what had happened to the dragon. Possessed by the evil wizard, Cereus was forced to hunt down and destroy other dragons, he hunted them down and destroyed the other powerful creatures with sickening ease, and was forced to let the wizard and his men who called themselves dragon slayers carry off their hordes. 

Worst of all was the way Cereus was treated, they gave him only enough of his treasure to keep him alive… and that just barely. Wounds that Cereus suffered in these huge battles were not treated until it became apparent that he was dying, only then did these so called dragon slayers kidnap a healer for him. His captors had him under their control, but they still feared him, yet thanks to the collar and his constant weakness from being left with no horde, though he could do nothing about it. 

Shani never showed the face of the wizard who had cast the spell on him, until the slayers gave him a command to destroy a magnificent blue dragon, obviously a female, and huddled around her massive body, were more than a dozen hatchlings… From the way the music changed, Vegeta could tell that this was his mate… and their offspring. Cereus let out a roar that would have split the very heavens, and lashed out blindly in rage and pain. His fire breath was twice as large as he had used on any other dragon he was forced to kill… when it was over, all that remained, were the charred skeletons of his mate and the hatchlings, and nearby, the remains of the dragon slayers. Realizing that he had just committed a terrible sin, by slaying his own mate, Cereus set himself to destroy the hated collar…not knowing that the wizard was watching, he seemed pleased, very pleased.

The wizard's face remained hidden deep in the folds of his cloak, until Cereus managed to nearly remove the collar, his great neck was almost bare of scales where it had lain, and blood ran freely from scores of deep gashes from his own claws. He was the largest dragon the world called Talon had ever seen, and yet, in his weakened state, he was no match for the great wizard, known only as the Forgotten King. The wizard attacked brutally with a series of lightning bolts that no living creature could hope to withstand, driving Cereus to the ground, where he lay helpless and dazed. Walking around to the head of his massive pet, the wizard peeled back his cloak, revealing something Vegeta had never seen, even in his worst nightmares… The walking corpse was hideous, dried up bits of flesh still clung to bare white bone, and its eyes were tiny pinpoints of blue-green fire. The creature known as the Forgotten King laughed, a hollow, chilling sound with no humor as Cereus tried to defend himself, but no attack came. Finally, the corpse spoke, revealing that he was pleased with the ease with which he had killed his mate. But the slayers… he was angry at their deaths. Looking into the unholy wizard's cruel gaze, Vegeta saw a disturbing familiarity… as much as he didn't want to think about it, he saw Frieza in him at that moment, and it frightened him… " I am going to kill you now, Cereus, but as I will leave you in this form, I know that you will be restored to your natural form, by either the Empress of the Elves, or the goddess of dragons, and in time, we shall meet again to settle this. I will allow you to attain your full natural size, and return to full strength, as I would really hate to have you disappoint me again…" 

The dinning room was cast into darkness as Shani collapsed, and the magical sphere that had been telling the story faded into nothingness, leaving no traces of the spell, except for a glittering pile of diamond dust.

As much as he wanted to know how the story would end, he was more concerned with the storyteller. Zarbon also came over to see what had happened to her. Vegeta gathered her gently into his arms and felt for a pulse, she felt very weak to him, but that might have been due to her delicate build, and a normal state for her. That she might have exerted herself too much telling the story never occurred to him, since he knew nothing of magic, or the strength it took to control it.

" Well? " Frieza demanded from his seat.

" I believe the girl will be alright, " Zarbon said finally, " I think she is merely exhausted, this magic the Elves practice seems to work a bit like our Ki control, using too much appears to leave her spent. "

" Well, that's good, I am glad to see it has some weakness after all. " Frieza chuckled, sounding more relieved by Zarbon's observation of her power than her condition. " Vegeta, return her to her room, and see that she is attended to. "

" You want ME to… Alright… " He shook his head and reminded himself that he was the one who started this game, and breaking it off would be exactly what they wanted. " I will take care of her, but I do not expect to see you before afternoon practice tomorrow. "

Frieza laughed, nodding slightly as he went into his chambers, and Zarbon got an odd look on his face and followed him. Not wanting to know what they were up to, Vegeta grabbed Shani and her stuff and carried them back to her room. She was so light that her bag seemed to weigh more than she did.

Her chambers were close to Frieza and Zarbon's own, and reflected her status as an honored guest, rather than a prisoner. Her 'room' consisted of a front room, a bedroom, and a large alcove near the table, which was set for dinner, even though everyone knew she would be eating with Frieza tonight. He shrugged; servants had done the same for him whenever he was needed at the dinner table at functions of state whenever both of his parents were to be present. Being with his parents always left him with an upset stomach, but it was nothing compared to having to sit at the table with Frieza and Zarbon… the only good thing about that, was they ate well, and at least Dodoria was never invited.

He laid her on her bed gently and watched her sleep for a moment. Why me? He wondered silently. I haven't had any medical training and have no interest in it, so why me? Finally he sat down in a chair close to her and waited for her to wake up. As he sat there, he started to get tired, and bored, realizing he still held her bag, he shrugged and looked inside. It was dark… too dark to see even for his Saiyan eyes, so, he reached in casually telling himself that he was going to put everything back. He found a few gems of various sizes and descriptions, and noted that there was something wriggling around, or at least he sort of thought there was, but he was ready to give up, when something bit him! 

Well how was that? I noticed a few of you had questions about some things, I hope the extra details in here helped some, but remember, no one can see EVERYTHING their first look at someone, and little kids have short attention spans anyway. More details are coming, in the next chapters, particularly with the elves and we will even get to find out the reason Cereus was so tiny when he was with them in person… Vegeta hinted at it in his observation of the song and the story, but there is more… In case any of my readers are AD&D fans like myself, I know that Black Dragons don't breathe fire, and I am also perfectly well aware of the fact that a lich has fiery red eyes, not blue green… I also know that Blue Dragons of AD&D are not very powerful compared to say Gold or Silver Dragons, but that isn't the point, they are still Dragons and I'm sorry, I don't believe St. George and his war horse could've kicked any dragon's butt, not for one minute. Paladin or no, a dragon was supposedly large enough to land on a castle and dwarf it, in the case of a Great Wyrm, can lay down for a nap and be called a mountain range!! But Talon is my world, and I like those details the way they are, so I'm keeping them. Oh yes, and I am almost ready to make Napa miserable too… if he was smarter, his little problem might be easily solved, but… Hehehe I guess I'll save it till chapter 6!

Thanks to all of my loyal readers, and PLEEEEEAAAAASE review. Chapter 6 will be up soon… I hope!


	7. A new friend

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ… although a few characters in this story are mine, namely Shani, Cereus, and Blaze… oh yeah, and the Forgotten King.

Notes: Things are about to take a turn for the worse, for everyone aboard Frieza's ship, but especially Vegeta and Napa…. The rating on this chapter is PG-13 but it may get as bad as an R… I have not decided yet.

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 6

Vegeta didn't know why he was surprised to have been bitten, he had stuck his hand into the lair of some tiny guard animal, and that was it's job… but at the same time, he was rather alarmed to note that it had hurt!! He had fought some of the nastiest predators on his entire planet and come out unscathed, yet the tiny creature wrapped around his hand and wrist had actually managed to draw blood! He chuckled in spite of himself and looked at the tiny lizard that had squeezed its eyes shut and was biting with every bit of its strength. 

The tiny red and gold lizard cracked one eye slowly, and gave him an indignant little snort, as it slowly let go of him. " Do you mind? I was biting you. Couldn't you even have the decency to pretend to be hurt? Don't you know anything about territorial rights? "

Vegeta jumped a little as the thing spoke. " It's not my fault that you are too little to hurt me. "

" Well, who are you, and what are you doing in this room, to say nothing of MY bag. "

" I am Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans, and I am here because Frieza ordered my to baby-sit her. As to my curiosity, I believe the bag is hers… as if the prince of Saiyans should have to defend himself to a little pet like you! "

" I'll never understand how the nobles can see fit to hand out titles to children like candy, spoils them… " The tiny lizard spat. " Well, at least you're strong, even more that Shani and Cereus told me. But, I am not a pet!! I am Shani's familiar, and a 4,000-year-old Spell Dragon! This is my natural size, and I may not bite very hard, little prince, but I can cast spells on you that could kill you instantly. "

" Really, and I suppose Cereus was at his full size too? "

The tiny dragon laughed outright, unfolding and stretching it's wings, before gracefully fluttering over to Shani. " Are you kidding? Cereus was a true great dragon, there are only about 6 or 7 spell dragons, we were not born, near as anyone can figure, we were created. All Cereus did to get this size was cast a shrink spell on himself. His true size would have destroyed the ship, and while I could have saved Shani, the Empress sent us… " 

" Wasn't she forced into it, like my father? "

" Well, yes and no. "

" It's either a yes or a no, not both. "

The tiny dragon looked at him through luminous emerald green eyes. " You certainly are opinionated… The Empress with the help of her battle mages would have been capable of stopping Frieza from taking Shani, but going with the tyrant is her destiny, so he would've come back for her, and gotten her some other way. Elves are one of the few races that know better than trying to fight destiny. "

" So your Empress just let her own daughter be taken as a slave?At least my cold-hearted bastard for a father tried to keep me, or so Napa says… Not that it matters anymore; he's probably dead by now. At least the rest of my people are safe. " 

The dragon lowered her small head, if only she could tell him the truth… it was too cruel to keep it from him, and yet…

" What's wrong with you? " 

" I was just wishing that sometimes destiny could be changed, it is cruel of Frieza to take children and use them against their parents. Empress Shinesta gave me to Shani, knowing that she would need a full-grown spell dragon to survive this… But knowing what I do… "

" What is it that you know, exactly? "

" The future. " The tiny lizard said sadly.

" The future isn't set, anything can be changed, and it is a question of will and desire. But, I suppose a little foresight wouldn't hurt… "

" I want to… but I can't tell you… not even to save Shani… when she is old enough to responsibly handle this knowledge, she will be able to cast the spells herself… Shinesta gave the knowledge to me hoping that I could try to steer thing slightly, but I cannot intervene very much or it may have dire consequences later. I would do anything for Shani, even die, but I can't tell either of you what will happen… I'm sorry. "

Vegeta thought for a minute. " You're a girl aren't you? "

" I most certainly am not, I am female yes, but I am a very mature Spell Dragon… but how did you know, I'm only the second dragon you've ever met. "

" I don't know, you just talk like one, and your eyes are different than Cereus's they're soft, and bright, like Shani's not strong and fiery. Where did he go, anyway? " 

" I'm sorry, but what race did you say you are? "

" Saiyan, why? "

" Just curious, I suppose, you have amazing intellect for your age, and by far the sharpest instincts as well. "

" Thank you, I guess, Napa says that all the time too. "

" Who's Napa? "

" My bodyguard… but I'm stronger than he is, so even with him, I am still powerless against Frieza. "

" It hurts you a lot to say that, doesn't it? "

" Why shouldn't it? I am the strongest Saiyan ever born and it is my destiny to destroy Frieza, but right now, I am just a little pawn in his games, I hate him, with all my heart and he knows it. This is all some sort of a game to him, and so far I'm loosing. No Saiyan Prince would tolerate the crap that he throws at me, but to preserve my world, I have to. "

The little dragon winced again… her emerald eyes very soft for a while as she watched him, it wasn't right that he could say that without tears, but he just did. In fact, he was mostly angry, there was sadness there, but so little of it that it made her sad for him. Frieza was destroying this boy and they weren't even to his special training grounds, where things were really going to get ugly. " How old are you? "

" Five. "

" How could you be a five year old? I thought you were ten at least! "

" My official coronation took place on my 5th birthday, that was about six months ago. Why would you care, anyway? " 

" There will be people you meet in this life that will care, you must learn to trust that… "

" Trust what? " He interrupted coldly, " I was taught to trust myself, and I do. "

" You are strong, but you are still just a child, I know that somewhere in you is a heart that wants to make the emptiness in your soul go away, and that is what friends do, they make the roads we choose in life go a little easier, because a true friend will never let you go alone. " Vegeta was about to tell the tiny creature to go away, when a shimmer appeared at the corner of her eye, but as it fell, rather than splash, it bounced, clattering on the marble floor. He reached down and picked it up.

It was beautiful, shimmering with all the colors of a rainbow, and having a silver blue sheen, he had never seen a stone like it before. Most amazing of all, was that it was already cut and faceted. " What is this? "

" It's a dragon tear… I have never seen one before, but then, I've never cried before either. " She said sadly.

" Why did you? "

" Why did I what? Cry? Don't you understand- I think that Frieza is demonically cruel for what he has done to you and Shani. You are still hardly more than babies and he wants to break you and destroy you! How can I not be sad, especially when you think you are so ready to face this alone! "

" That is the Saiyan way. " He shrugged, but his attention was focused on the dragon tear. 

" You like that thing? " She asked finally.

" It's pretty, " He nodded, and laid it down for her to see it. Then he glanced at Shani,

who was still soundly out of unconscious. " Will she be alright? "

The little creature didn't answer, and when he looked down, he saw that she was casting a spell or something, her emerald eyes closed in concentration. The tiny stone grew to about a quarter of an inch long but retained its tear drop shape, and it's beautiful cut and polished appearance, at the pointed end, there appeared a delicate platinum clasp, and he blinked in surprise as a chain appeared on it as well. For an instant, the chain and the clasp took on a black luster, and then changed back to flawless platinum. Simultaneously a deep blue sheen settled over the stone, then it too returned to its shinning diamond like sparkle and it's opal like sheen, only then did the dragon glance at him and nod. " Shani is fine, she used too much of her magic, and wore herself out, but in a few hours, she will be fine… There, I want you to have this. "

" You do? "

" Yes, a dragon's tear is a spell component of legendary power, or a charm of protection and luck the gods themselves start wars over. " 

" Does it work? " He asked looking at it speculatively, before picking it up.

" Well, I don't know either, as I said, I have never seen a true Dragon's Tear before, but I do know that it couldn't hurt… If you want, I can cast some spells on it to enhance any abilities it might have. "

" This is very generous of you, but I cannot accept, because I have no gift for you. I don't even know your name."

The dragon chuckled. " My name is Blaze, and I really want you to have this, Frieza has taken a disturbingly powerful interest in you, and you will need all the help you can get. Please, I am going to make one for Shani as well. "

" Are you sure? I want to give you something in return, but most of my things are in the ships hold… provided they were ever brought on board at all. "

" You are a prince who values honor and integrity, I would like your word that you will always remain so… don't be too quick to answer, the things Frieza and his minions will do to you will partially be attempts to destroy these qualities. "

" I will always try to remain honorable, and keep my integrity. Are you sure that is all you want? "

" If you can keep your promise, Prince Vegeta, then you would honor my gift with your very acceptance. " Blaze said, bowing her graceful head, and elegantly arched neck.

" You are worthy of the title prince, I am sorry that I did not see it sooner. "

" I insulted you earlier as well, I also apologize. You are not a pet…" Vegeta pulled the necklace over his head and studied it curiously, finally he looked up, " But I am still wondering where Cereus went. "

" Oh, sorry, I guess I did forget to answer that one, didn't I? Well, Cereus was sort of brought here by accident, but he allowed himself to be summoned, and then he had to leave, but he gave Shani his memories, so that she could share them with you. "

" Did she have to do it at dinner time? Frieza understood that there was some sort of connection between the dragon and I and the wizard and Lord Frieza. I think he was probably searching my mind… or Shani's. "

" Frieza can read minds? "

" Yes, he does it to me all the time, and I got him back tonight, but I don't think I ought to do it again. "

" I tend to agree, hold still for a moment. "

" Why? "

" I am going to add another spell to your amulet. "

" What all will it do after that? "

" Amulet of life, thought and spirit protection, and it will make it a little harder to hit you. At your age, it won't do anything to stop Frieza, but as you get stronger, you will notice it more. I have also added some protection magic to protect it, either from being stolen, or broken. It is attuned to you, and if you should need to hide it, simply will it away, but if you want it back, will it to return to you. "

" Where will it be in the mean time? "

Blaze laughed, " That is one of the great mysteries of the ages… I am serious; some say it resides for a while actually on your person, but in an extra dimensional space, while others say it simply goes into the flow of magic around it. There are a couple of other guesses as well, but I can't remember them all. Wizards and sorcerers have been wondering about such things for thousands of years. My pet theory is that mortals just aren't meant to know. "

" Blaze, what happened to Cereus? Did Shani tell you? "

" I am not good at telling stories, but how far did she get? "

" The wizard was about to kill him. "

" Oh… well, he did, he killed Cereus, and The Empress- not Shani's mother, but one of her ancestors resurrected him and the dragon kept all of his memories, even the ones of killing his mate and dying at the hands of the Forgotten King. Cereus grew in size and power, and finally he reached the size he had been at when he was killed, but he was still not powerful enough to fully destroy the lich, so he… "

" What is a lich? "

" Oh, I guess if you don't have magic, you don't have liches… Well, a lich is a wizard who was very powerful in life, but their study of necromancy leads them to believe that being one of the undead will make them not only more powerful, but more efficient in terms of their magic, and also their spell research. A lich is a very dangerous adversary, because they never tire, they don't eat, and don't need water. Their magic is also very deadly, and the evil ones hate the living with an unreasoning passion. All life, they create undead dragons and armies of humans to serve them, which was most likely his plan for Cereus… He would have succeeded to, had it not been for a Gold Dragon, named Oberon, who was the Empress' bodyguard, in his Elf-like form. He and Cereus fought the Forgotten King together, and they won, but Oberon did not survive the night, he died in the arms of the Empress, but not before passing his station as her bodyguard to Cereus… "

" Wow daddy, what a great story!!! But, I don't get it if the blue dragon was like you, who's the gold dragon? " Bra asked, and Vegeta looked down to find that Marron and Pan were also directly in front of him, all bug-eyed and nodding. 

" The Gold Dragon would be Goku. " And everyone turned to see Piccolo looking like the cat that just ate the canary.

Bra and the other two little girls gasped in amazement. " Really Daddy, is it Goku? "

" I believe it's him. " Vegeta growled, " Now why did you interrupt this time? "

" I wanted to know who the Gold Dragon was. " Bra said in an important tone, as if that should explain everything. " Well, and you told me once that they were bad to Napa and Radditz too, well, when are you going to tell us about them? "

Vegeta rolled his eyes, but didn't get to answer because his mate spoke first. " Vegeta, that thing the little red dragon gave you, do you still have it? "

"Yes, I never take it off. " Vegeta smirked, and closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a softly shimmering platinum French rope necklace and a tear shaped gem of clear sparkles and an opal-like luster. " It just disappears for a while. You want to see it up close, I suppose? "

" Please? " It seemed unanimous, so, he slipped it off and gave it to the little girls first. As soon as they had all seen it, Bra took it to her mother, and it went around the circle from there. 

" Are we done with the stupid questions again? "

" Did the little dragon ever tell you who created them? "

" Yes, Blaze says that the Spell Dragons were a creation of the Forgotten King, originally he only made one, as a Familiar to aid him in his spell research, and to create a companion that had the intelligence of a dragon with the appetite of a much smaller animal. He gave them huge magical power so that they could defend themselves, if they ever got separated from him. Only problem for him was the Goddess of Magic decided she didn't want life coming from the undead, but she liked the tiny creatures too much to destroy them, so she made them all good aligned creatures. That way they would never be or serve evil. There are spells on Talon that can make you good or evil no matter what you are normally, but she gave them immunity to those spells, that way they could only become the familiar of a good spell caster. I guess they can come in any color, because at first The Forgotten King thought that it was the color of the first one that made it impossible to control them, but he made twelve before he finally asked the Goddess and she told him the real reason. "

" That's kind of mean, allowing him to make twelve before telling him the truth. " Android 17 said thoughtfully, 18 nodded in agreement.

" He thought he was so powerful that he didn't need her permission to create life with his own magic. Why wouldn't a goddess want to get some vengeance for that? " Bulma shrugged. " If I were that goddess, I would've taken away all his magic, and turned him mortal again. " 

" She figured it would be a more effective lesson if he were allowed to live as before, with the knowledge that he could never control his greatest creation. That was a blow to his pride that he never recovered from. Blaze told me that in the future of her world, when the Elves are all but gone, he would be brought back to life, and he would create a human who is neither alive or undead, and she will be the greatest undead slayer of all time, and possibly in all worlds. "

" Does she eventually kill him for good? "

" Even Blaze and Empress Shinesta couldn't see that far into the future. Are we done with these inane questions yet? "

" Uh, ok, you can go on now. " Krillin said, deciding to save his question for later, the Saiyan Prince did not look happy, and it was his turn to look at the beautiful necklace.

" Bra, why do you want to hear about Radditz and Napa? They were both dead long before you were born. "

" But you said Napa wanted to protect you, so I like him. He sounds like he was a neat guy, kinda like 16, huh Daddy? "

Vegeta tried not to laugh, Napa was among the most blood thirsty Saiyans he had ever met, after Frieza got a hold of him and Radditz for a while, neither of them ever were truly the same… None of them were, only Shani and Blaze seemed even close to the same… He shivered a little, remembering as Napa was pulled away from his training session one afternoon, and summoned to a meeting with Frieza…

Napa watched approvingly as the prince destroyed the Saibamen, one at a time, easily, coldly and all the while dodged and evaded the others as he played with them. These days it was hard to challenge the prince in any fashion; he was just too cunning, even more so than his father, he had to admit. Vegeta found weaknesses a mile away and used them, as backups when his normal attacks weren't working. Napa could always tell when his young charge had spotted a new weakness or a weaker opponent, his eyes would narrow and a devilish little smirk would appear. If he was feeling truly cruel, his tail would lash for a moment before winding back around his waist, as he paused to consider his options. 

As if in answer to his thoughts, Napa saw Vegeta do exactly that, his eyes narrowed as he smirked at one of the Saibamen who had a bad Ki burn on its left leg that had all but crippled it. The prince's tail twitched in amusement as the thing realized it was his next target, and hobbled toward him, but without the enthusiasm of the others. Vegeta dodged and struck with the grace and precision of a dancer, while keeping his attention focused on the weakling. When he got to it, he stopped, and arched one eyebrow expectantly. It lashed out with a claw strike, but Vegeta was faster, jumping up into spinning roundhouse kick that caved in the plant creature's head, and knocked him into two others, taking all three down, as the other Saibamen closed in again. It wasn't really training; Napa knew these would hardly be classified as toys for him except that the prince was in a good mood today. 

The little Elf was taking up a lot of Vegeta's time; she dragged him everywhere, wanting to show him the different pass codes she had deciphered, playing hide and seek without the use of the scouter, she was always singing or humming or giggling, and while she was cute, Napa always tried to be sure that he was well away from her. He groaned, just thinking about the golden child he was getting a headache. They would arrive at Frieza's palace and Training hall tomorrow evening, and it had been a long journey, and part of him was glad it was over, but he was dreading the training that they all knew would be starting the following morning… or in the Prince's case, probably that night… 

" Napa… I am sorry to disturb you while you are in the training room with Prince Vegeta, but you are to report to Frieza's throne room immediately. " Said a little blue alien in a ship's officers uniform. 

" I will get the Prince immediately… " 

Napa didn't have time to press the speaker button on the screen, before the alien was in front of him.

" No. The Prince stays here. You are the one that Frieza wishes to speak with. I will watch the controls in here for you. "

There was something sinister in the short alien's tone as he grinned and moved to take over the panel. But Napa knew that there was nothing in there that could truly endanger the Prince, and he couldn't keep Frieza waiting. Reluctantly, he went down the halls until he reached the throne room door, there he met another Saiyan. He looked a lot like… Bardock, but he was too young, his hair was too long, and he didn't have any scars. A son of his, he wondered? 

" Are you the Prince's guard? " The younger Saiyan asked boldly.

" Yes. "

" I'm Radditz, and we are supposed to go in right away. "

" Any idea what this is about? "

" No, I just got a message from the King himself to report here instead of at the barracks. "

" Well, we are about to see Frieza, try not to make a third class ass of yourself and let me do the talking. Do exactly what I do. "

The younger warrior glared at him, but didn't argue as the door slid open in front of them. Napa led the way in, and knelt on one knee before Frieza, who nodded and told them to stand.

" Napa, I suppose you are wondering why I called you here without your charge? "

" Indeed, Lord Frieza, but I am at your service, as long as my lord is. "

" Yes, and I have also brought Radditz with you. I have a bit of a problem with one of the planets I had assigned to a few of my best warriors. This planet is very valuable to me, as I like pink and yellow planets, they are quite rare, you know. And the natives are a bit on the unfriendly side. I believe that it is time to send in something with a bit more punch, if you get my meaning. "

" Lord Frieza, are you asking me to leave the Prince unattended while I am on this mission for you? "

" Surely you know me better than that by now, Napa. I have my men here; rest assured that he will be well taken care of. "

Every one of his instincts were warning him that this was a trap, and that he wanted to get him away from Vegeta. The presence of Radditz he wasn't sure about, but he knew that he must have been standing in the way of something Frieza was planning. The little game Frieza and Vegeta were playing was a brilliant move on the part of the young prince, because it was the only thing keeping Napa alive. Formality might be boring as hell, but it beats going there. Napa sighed heavily Frieza had found a way around it though. He was too smart not to, but it was curious to Napa that he had waited until they were this close to their destination before doing this. 

" I will make this worth your while, Napa, and Radditz, you see, I reward good service in my army, and really, you are both members of it, since your prince is as well. "

" I am aware of that Lord Frieza, but the prince is too young to serve you in war, for now he must be content to train, and… "

" Napa, you forget your place! I did not ask for your opinion. This mission will be a rather short one. I think a pair of giant monkeys will be able to crush the resistance, it is their weaponry that posed the problem for my other teams, they were expecting creatures who have an aversion to strong electrical fields and currents, but you do not have that little problem, having Ki control allows you certain advantages, does it not? "

" Yes, it certainly does, Lord Frieza. " Radditz said, already licking his lips in anticipation.

Napa could only nod, this still felt wrong. He didn't want to leave the prince alone. He was sworn to guard him with his life at all times, and Frieza knew this! Why was he doing this, he could just as easily have on of his guards attack Vegeta, forcing Napa to step in and end of problem…' That is a surprisingly clever idea you have come up with, Napa, perhaps I will… but for now, I would like to see how you and Radditz work together, as I cannot have Vegeta attended by those who can't protect him, now can I? Radditz appears interested, some part of you must want the wealth you have served all of your life. It can be as difficult or as easy as you want, to be in MY service, Napa, I suggest you think it over. ' Napa actively tried to close his mind to Frieza's intrusive presence, but he shook his head and nearly went down as Frieza forced his way back in.' You try my patience again, and I will kill you where you stand. ' 

" I understand, Lord Frieza. " Napa growled, standing up to his full height, and glaring at the black horned alien lord. " We will gladly accept your mission. "

" Good, you leave as soon as we have landed, your pods will be waiting for you at bay 4. Now go, and remember, you are mine. "


	8. Training time.

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, and I never will, but Shani, Blaze and the other young lords and ladies at Frieza's training school are mine...err they will be, when they are introduced. 

Notes: Now that Frieza has made a move against Vegeta, Napa's loyalties are torn, but what is he going to do about it? Blaze, the Spell Dragon knows what's going to happen, but since she can't directly intervene too much, can she help steer things to a better outcome, or will everything foretold still come to pass? And what will happen when Frieza finds out that Shani's dragon knows the future, including his eventual demise at the hands of a mysterious Saiyan? 

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 7

As Vegeta finished off the last of the Saibamen, he turned around to see a strange alien operating the controls of his training session, and even before he saw its evil grin, he knew that something was very wrong… Where was Napa, and who was that? Better question, what had just tapped him on the shoulder? That was the content of his thoughts as he turned back to the main part of the training room to see a huge blob-like creature leering at him. It was disgusting and reminded him of Dodoria. Although it was drooling and Dodoria rarely did that. A persistent sting in his shoulder where the thing had tapped him made him reach up and scratch at it… his glove came away bloody.

Was it poison… or acid? Either way Vegeta knew he had to end this now. The terrible itch in his shoulder persisted, and it was almost maddening not to be able to touch it, but he wasn't stupid, he knew better and he forced the pain from his mind as he charged at the foul opponent chosen for him. His concentration was strong, fortunately training with his father had taught him that pain could be ignored, and used as added fire to drive himself to victory. When the blob made no move to defend itself, Vegeta guessed that it's whole body was poisonous, so he stopped at the last moment and jumped back, as he did, fired a minor Ki blast at it. The blast left a big hole in the creature, but it smoothed its self out only a few seconds later. Was it regenerating, he wondered or was it merely rearranging itself? Well, there was only one way to find out… another thing he had noticed, was that this creature was completely silent, it hadn't made a sound as he had blasted it, or anything. It appeared to have a mouth, but it might be telepathic, instead… 

' I am impressed. ' The thing said, into his mind ' Frieza has a fondness for new powers and abilities; he learned that one, from me. But he still has a ways to go before he will be able to match me in it. '

' You're wasting my time; I was born with this power as well. ' Vegeta snapped back at the creature. 

' Indeed, we are wasting time, so why don't you attack, your acid guess was excellent, but it is also a poison, you should be feeling its effects any time now. ' The thing gave him a cold chuckle. ' Indeed, the first thing that happens, as you can see, is the acid burns away whatever it touches, and then you will start to feel lightheaded and dizzy. After you find yourself unconscious, you probably won't be waking up. Napa is too stupid to know how to help you. So, Tiny, are you scared yet? Don't tell me the tiny Prince of Saiyans can be beaten so easily, as a tap on the shoulder. '

" Who are you calling tiny? Asshole, I'm about to put you on a diet, while you've been chattering, I've been channeling. "Vegeta said, using his most evil smirk. " If you can't dodge, you are dead. So, fat boy… would you like a moment to pray? "

' N…NO! Please I have the antidote it's in the control room. Please don't kill me, this was Frieza's idea, I didn't want to hurt you… '

Vegeta pretended to consider his plea. " If you can contact Lord Frieza, would you give him a message for me? "

' Anything, just please, don't kill me. '

" Tell him that the next time he interrupts my training with an assassin, at least make it a good one. " Vegeta growled, and his dark eyes glittered dangerously. And that was the last thing the alien saw, before a flash of blue-white light erupted from the outstretched palm of the prince's gloved hand. " On second thought, just do us both a favor, and die. "

Vegeta didn't get to admire his handiwork, because out of the blast, came one huge ball of the orange muck. Had he not been standing so close to the thing he would've been out of its range, and he tried to jump away, but the majority of it still hit him in the gut. Immediately he felt it searing through his armor and his bodysuit, quickly he tried to wipe it off with one of his gloves, but found that it only started to eat them as well. He noticed that the other alien had vacated the control room, but not before putting up the blast door to the room he had been in, and beyond that, the door to the hallway was also blocked. He turned to glance at the dressing room doors and found them to still be sealed with the blast doors as well. Damn… left with no other choice, he concentrated on Napa. The overly large idiot was hard to reach though, and Vegeta knew why, he felt a familiar presence blocking him… Frieza.

He shuddered and fell to his knees as his young body reached the limits of its strength. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he tried to get up, and he made it, but he only got to take a few steps before his vision was started to blur, and he felt lightheaded, as pain lanced through his arm as he fell forward onto it. His stomach and his side felt as if they were on fire and he growled a curse at Frieza, before finally the darkness welcomed him fully.

" Do everything you do, eh Napa? Get yourself in trouble is more like it… " Radditz chuckled at the extremely pissed off elite warrior. 

" Shut up, you fucking traitor!! You may like the idea of working for Frieza, but I for one, do NOT! I will serve no one before my prince, and you had better not either! "

" The Prince? That prince of yours is a five year old, in case you haven't noticed. "

" That five year old will be king one day, you bastard, and he is already strong enough to tear you apart one piece at a time, without even powering up. He is also very intelligent, and unforgiving. I am not very forgiving either, don't cross me, you third class pile of shit, or I will kill you myself. Partner or no, NO ONE disrespects the royal house in my presence. " 

Radditz rolled his eyes as Napa turned away from him, but he said nothing, and it was just as well, for Napa turned back to him with a dark glare. " One more thing, soldier, take a bath as soon as possible. "

" What?!? "

" I can't very well introduce you to the prince if you stink, can I? "

" Listen you elite jerk, you may be the prince's bodyguard, but this isn't Planet Vegeta, in case you haven't noticed!! "

" I will only say this once, it doesn't matter where we are, we are still Saiyans, and when you became a warrior, you took an oath to defend the royal house! If you would like to take it back, the prince will take your life as forfeit. I for one am proud to serve the prince, he acts twice his age, and in spite of our hopeless situation he has not given up, unlike you. He is cunning, and completely ruthless, Radditz. You had best remember that, and mind your manners when you meet him. " 

" I think you are insane, going against Frieza is… "

" I am not going against Frieza, for now it is in the prince's best interests that we do as he says. I know better than you do that going against Frieza is a death sentence, I have lived in the palace my entire life, and I saw the power he held there! Do you think it was easy for me to watch my best friend go from the youngest king we ever had, into a monster? His mate was taken from him, slowly they took his power, and now he has lost his heir. The last time I saw our king I was with the prince aboard this ship as he was taken to an audience with Frieza, and we just talked to the ruler that is still alive. "

" What?! Are you saying the king is dead?! "

" Frieza has no reason to keep him alive any longer, he got what he wanted from the Saiyans, and his taking the prince was a test… and our former king failed it, or so the prince told me… "

" The prince told you that? How could he? "

" He is smart, strong, and possesses a ruthless cunning I have only seen in much older warriors. He will be the next super Saiyan, provided he lives long enough. Frieza will not kill him outright for a few years yet, but he has every intention of seeing just how far and how hard he can be pushed before… "

" Before what? "

Napa said nothing for a moment; he had the strangest feeling that the Prince was trying to reach him…Napa's enormous fist hit the paneled wall of the elevator and continued through it. " Fucking HELL! I knew I should never have let that bastard stay in there unsupervised with the prince! " Napa bellowed, forcing the elevator doors open.

" What is wrong? "

" I don't know how I didn't sense it earlier, but the prince is in trouble. He barely got through to me, and now I don't sense him at all. "

" He couldn't be dead could he? "

" Hell no, but he must be serious trouble, he would never ask for anything if his life didn't depend on it. He would rather die than ask for help, but I keep reminding him that he is too important for that extreme. If he dies, then everything really is lost. Shit! "

" Is there a problem here? " Asked a female officer with a coy smile.

" There will be if someone does not open the door to the training rooms. " Napa growled, picking her up by her throat. 

The purple skinned woman paled considerably and managed to nod, showing them the keys, which Radditz took, and Napa dropped her, watching uneasily as she scampered down the hall out of sight.

" Damn. " Radditz muttered, " What key is it? "

" I don't know, try them all if you have to! " Napa snapped. " Hurry up! "

" I'm trying, I've only been on this ship for an hour! "

" Step aside, then gentlemen, and let me. " Said a small sweet voice that could only belong to Shani. Sure enough, the tiny elf squeezed gracefully between them and sauntered up to the electronic lock. 

" Who in the hell is that? And what…"

Napa just gave the other Saiyan a sharp glare and shook his head as Shani began humming as she pressed the buttons with her eyes closed. Each key made a slight noise, and each sound was a bit different, only her sharp ears and theirs ever seemed to pick it up, but Napa had never wathed the door being unlocked before, so he had no idea how to guess the correct sequence. Shani, though, had extremely fast hands, and they enabled her to make her guesses faster than anyone else he had ever seen. Napa shook his head wonderingly as a Vegeta- like smirk cross her features, just as the blast doors came down, and the door came open. For a moment, there appeared to be no sign of the prince in the training room, and then Napa got to the control booth and looked straight down… there lay the prince, badly damaged and practically surrounded by a disgusting and slightly crispy orange ooze. 

" Oh no! " Shani cried tugging on Napa's arm, " How do we get down there? "

" You are going to stay right here and help Radditz keep a lookout, if the little blue bastard comes back, I want to… talk to him. "

" I want to go with you, please? "

" No, it is possibly dangerous down there, and I am sure the orange stuff down there is responsible for his condition, you aren't getting anywhere near it. "

" You aren't the boss of me…"

" Radditz, keep her up here. "

" I'm a warrior, not a baby-sitter! "

Napa didn't bother to answer, as he took the easy way down and hovered above Vegeta for a moment. From here he got a much better look at the prince's mangled shoulder, the remains of a small orange blob were slowly eating away the skin and muscle tissues. But that wasn't what worried him. Vegeta's breathing was harsh and very shallow, since he had collapsed onto his stomach, Napa was positive that he wasn't going to like what he saw when he rolled him over. Well, he could see that he didn't have any time to waste, so he turned him over as gently as possible, steeling himself for the worst, and wasn't disappointed… He was a mess, a smear of orange was still on the remaining half of his breastplate, and Napa could see that the stuff had eaten its way through, leaving nothing in tact. Whatever it was; this stuff was extremely potent, and it had eaten away most of the skin where most of the orange stuff must have hit him. There was almost no bleeding at the site though, and that was the one thing Napa liked about this. Thanks to his father, Vegeta had survived worse, Napa tried to tell himself, but looking back at the weird orange goop, he wasn't as sure as he sounded to Shani and Radditz, carrying the prince down to medical. 

" Are you sure he's alive? " Radditz ventured quietly as the three of them watched a team of white-coated lab techs take him away. 

Napa snorted indignantly. " Of course he is, he was breathing when they took him… "

" Mr. Napa, sir… " Shani whispered, " This morning at breakfast Lord Frieza told me that I couldn't play with Vegeta anymore, and when I asked him why, he just smiled and told me that Vegeta was going to be busy for a few days. What did he mean by that? Can't the tank thing make him better? " 

" Princess Shannelle, you shouldn't be here, you need to go back to your room. I'll find a way to get word to you when Prince Vegeta is all right. "

" Can't I stay for a little bit, in case he wakes up? " She looked at him through two tear-filled, silvery eyes and an innocence he wasn't prepared for, but Napa still managed to shake his head. 

Shani bowed her head sadly and was about to cry some more when Napa gave her a stern look. " You were indispensable help to us getting that door open, princess, but I don't think Frieza would appreciate knowing that you have been breaking into rooms all over his ship. It would be safer for all of us if you just pretend that you don't know he is hurt. For destroying the elevator and assaulting an officer I am certain to get in trouble, I do not want to take the two of you with me… "

" Yeah, not to mention that you've already pissed off Frieza once today, you big moron, you could have gotten us both killed doing that! "

" Hardly, you idiot, now Frieza knows that you are the weak link in the three of us that are here. That is all he was really interested in you and I for. I am certain that this mission he wants us to carry out is a trap, but I don't know why he would bother, he knows that the Prince is the only threat to him, and Vegeta is the one he wants to keep! "

" A trap for us? You're right about one thing, I know I'm pretty far out of my league around here, and you're too stupid to pose a threat, so why bother? "

" Goodness you are a rude one Radditz, if I were Napa I'd have smacked you by now… " Said a small voice coming from Shani's bag, and they both quit fighting as Blaze climbed out and crawled up onto the little elf's shoulder. " Napa, I didn't mean now, we need to go somewhere and talk… "

" Can't be either of our rooms, or Prince Vegeta's either, it would have to be yours… "

" What in the fuck is that thing?? "

" It's a dragon, Radditz and no more swearing in front of the princess. " Napa snarled. " So are you Cereus or… Blaze? "

" I am Blaze… " The tiny dragon said her emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. Then she closed them in concentration, " Shut your eyes, gentlemen. "

Used to obeying orders without question, Napa shut his eyes. While Radditz didn't, and saw the shimmering white pool of light just an instant before it engulfed them all, blinding him and disrupting his sense of balance with a feeling of weightlessness and suspended time. He growled at the idea of being helpless to such a tiny creature, but the sensation passed quickly, replaced by a hard collision with the floor. Radditz got up quickly shaking with fury, but one look at the elite standing between him and the dragon was enough to stop him.

Napa let Radditz stalk off to a different corner of the room and looked down at Shani and Blaze. " What did you want to speak to us about? "

" Frieza's mission for you. "

" Why, "

" In a way, you are right, it is a trap, but Frieza won't be angry if you survive. Part of this is a test of your intelligence, and your power. He wants to see where your loyalties fall if you return, after you see his reward. He will be disappointed if you take his side, after your boldness in his throne room. But Radditz he is undecided upon, for now. Until you can be sure of his loyalty, watch Radditz carefully, he is a bit of a wildcard in the game so far. "

" So it's true, you really know the future? " Napa asked quietly.

" Of course she does! Blaze was with my mother when she was looking into the future all those times. And she even got to see Frieza get his ass kicked by some big blonde guy with spiked hair and some weird orange outfit! "

" Lady Shannelle Silversong! What would your mother or Ellen say if they heard you say something like that?!? " Blaze cried in well simulated disbelief, daring to cast a glance at Radditz, she watched his dark eyes turn from curious to impassive.

" Sorry Blaze… But that's not fair, Vegeta gets to swear all the time and no one gets mad at him! He says worse things than most Orcs!! "

" Young lady, go sit in your room and think about how such language reflects on your mother, Ellen and I. We taught you better than that! And I don't want you playing with your harp or your flutes either! "

" She has displeased you and you aren't even going to hit her? " Napa gasped in shock, as the little girl slammed the door.

" While I can shape change, that isn't the Elven way. When one of ours has done wrong we use our brains to think of something they won't like, and being left without her music hurts her much more than most anything else. Besides, she is very worried about her friend right now, and she realizes that it was Frieza who is ultimately responsible. Shani would not have said something so outrageous if she was not so worried. She is young and afraid, your prince is young as well, but very seldom seems afraid, she likes that, and she needs him. " 

" The Prince seems quite fond of her as well. " Napa nodded slowly, he didn't want to think of what would happen when the two were separated, and he knew it would happen eventually…

" Yes, you are right, your Prince doesn't really realize it yet, but they are friends now. It will be very hard on them both when Frieza takes her to one of his other training halls later. "

" When will Frieza separate them? "

" Don't tell either of them, Napa, it will hurt them enough when it is time. To tell them now will only cause him to shut her out, and she will try harder, leaving him to feel guilt when she is gone. "

" I won't tell, but when? "

" Two years. " Blaze said softly. 

" So what? " Radditz grunted coming back over quietly.

" Members of the royal house are raised alone, sometimes even separated from their siblings. She is the only person he has ever met that is his age. Being third class, you never really got to find out what loneliness is, did you, Radditz? " Napa sneered.

" Yes, well… " Blaze all but whispered, and yet both of the Saiyans still heard the slight smile in her voice. " My little Shani is hard to resist, isn't she? "

" Well, meeting you has taught me one thing so far, Napa… " Radditz growled. " I'm almost glad I'm not an Elite; I'd rather not be an asshole like you. "

" Don't start with me. All that matters right now is the prince. "

" Napa… " Blaze said thoughtfully. "The prince will be all right, but he will not awaken before you and Radditz have to leave. I think that was their main goal for the time being. If he isn't awake to know about it, he can't object to Frieza using you.And, your loyalty is commendable, but if we don't play nice, we are not going to make it. We land at Frieza's training grounds the day after tomorrow, you know. " 

" So why does the Prince of Saiyans matter so much to you? "

" I would hope that it would be obvious, Radditz. Frieza has taken her and I away from our world, just as he has done to you and your prince. Shani and Vegeta have been friends ever since… I also consider him a friend. You don't know how lucky you are to have such strength in such a small child. "

" I wouldn't know, finding him bloody and dying in the training room was the first time I had ever seen him. I don't even know how he got into that condition. "

" I'm not sure either… " Napa said quietly " but I intend to find the little blue freak that does. " 

Frieza was studying a hologram of the bright colored world where he was sending the two Saiyans who served their prince… or more specifically the big stupid one, and the discontented Radditz… oh yes this is going to be most, most satisfying. Even the little Elven princess would have her part to play in this…

The knock at the outer chamber door distracted him from his thoughts as Zarbon opened it just enough to address him." Lord Frieza, everything is proceeding on schedule, although there is one thing… "

" What is it, Zarbon, I am quite busy at the moment. "

" The Fire Ooze you were keeping as a pet… is dead. "

Frieza chuckled slightly. " The prince killed a mature Fire Ooze? Was he alone? "

" Yes sire, Napa and Radditz were confirmed to be on the elevator… well, until Napa broke out of it quite suddenly. It appears he thought it wasn't opening quickly enough; he also assaulted one of your officers. " 

Frieza was slightly perplexed as he thought about both the Ooze and the elevator, then he laughed as he said to Zarbon with a smirk. " That elevator, see that it repaired in short order. As for the Ooze… did it do its job? "

" Yes, the prince is injured… quite seriously, I might add. "

" So, it took Vegeta a while to figure out the acid, eh? "

" No, he figured it out instantly. I read the tracks. But the Ooze wasn't very smart; it must have given itself away somehow. Because the Saiyan's first attack was Ki, and he only needed two to destroy it. " 

Frieza laughed again.

" What is so funny? Sire. "

" There seems to be an abundance of stupidity in the ranks of my men lately. It makes us look bad to be outdone by a pair of monkeys, does it not? Zarbon. "

Zarbon swallowed hard, hoping that he was dismissed soon. " Yes, and what are your orders for the remains of the Ooze and the officer? "

" Get the training room cleaned up as soon as possible, get rid of the Ooze, and keep Napa and Radditz under close watch. As to the officer, that will be seen to in time. "

" Shall I have Napa brought in for… questioning in regard to the officer? "

" No. We will let them have this little victory for now. It pleases me that Vegeta believes the ooze was meant to kill him? "

" I don't understand. My lord, why would you want that? "

" It is your lack of imagination that keeps you from being a leader, Zarbon, not a question of your skill. " Frieza chuckled dryly. " When I told Vegeta that I wanted him to trust me, I wanted him to know I didn't mean it the way it sounded…. Zarbon, what is the second great rule I taught you? " 

" Don't trust anybody, sire. "

" Good, and the first? "

" Trust yourself, and your instincts. "

" Can you think of a way to use those two rules to sort of justify that I told him to trust me? Especially recalling that I might have been trying to kill him. "

" Trust no one… especially you. Because rule three is never give your back to an enemy. "

" Very good. You are dismissed, Zarbon. "

Hehehe… I do sooooooooo love being bad… No, it's not turning into a fantasy epic, but there will be magic in it until we loose Shani and Blaze. All the magic in the previous chapters was as an intro to how I will handle the 'lost art' for the remainder of their presence in the story. I love magic personally, and I don't think that its presence or lack of it can make, break or even define a story, unless it is abused in some way. Thank you though for ALL the reviews I love them all, and I reread them constantly for inspiration, and reassurance too, believe it or not. I hope that at least for the most part everyone appreciates my hard work, because it's partially for my readers that I continue to offer this. Thanks again, and please review.


	9. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, and I will never make any money from this story either.

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 8

Vegeta awoke somewhat sluggishly surrounded by the liquid warmth of the tank, and shook his head slightly as he tried to open his eyes. The chemical filled water was always a bit disorienting, but this was the first time he had ever felt dizzy in the water. What was he doing in here anyway? Slowly his mind and his memory seemed to clear a little… That orange blob, Napa was missing… there was an odd little blue thing in the booth where Napa was supposed to be, and… the blast doors were up, barring his escape. But there was something else that was eluding him, he felt it, he knew intuitively that something was missing from his memory… something the orange blob had said… but what? This was not the first time he had awakened injured with this knowledge, either, and that was the worst thing… whoever or whatever was responsible seemed to be able to do this to him at its leisure. Being anyone's personal plaything was completely foreign to him, and he hated it! When he caught whoever was doing it, they were going to die VERY slowly.

It seemed like ages before the tank started to beep and let him out… and strangely, Napa wasn't there waiting for him. Vegeta was hit with two emotions simultaneously, anger, and a foreboding curiosity. The anger he dismissed easily he knew that Napa would die before leaving his side… willingly. What wasn't so easily dismissed, was the lingering doubt as to what had happened while he was out. How long had he been out anyway? He dressed hurriedly and had just stepped out of the medical rooms when he caught sight of Zarbon, the blue green bastard motioned for him to follow, and Vegeta realized they were no longer on the ship. 

Zarbon paused at the end of the hall where it intersected another. It was a palace of some sort with the same decadent beauty as he had grown up with, only on a larger scale. If he had any interest in this sort of thing, he would've been floored by its magnificence and grandeur. But as things stood, he just rolled his eyes and was not feigning his disinterest, if anything, it only made him dislike Frieza more. Vegeta said nothing as he caught up to Zarbon, even though there were a million questions on his mind.

" Lord Frieza had wanted to offer you the tour himself, but was called away on Imperial business early this morning, I hope you are not too disappointed. "

" Certainly not, if he is busy, I am sure we can get together later to discuss certain things. "

" I was given authorization to answer most any questions you might have. "

" Humph, if you weren't given total freedom to be honest with me, then we have nothing to discuss, aside from which cell in the dungeon is to be mine. "Vegeta shrugged, not even bothering to give Zarbon a cold look. " Your lord and master knew perfectly well what questions I would have for him, and you do too. "

" You are in way over your head, you know that, I know you do. This little game you're playing with Frieza isn't going to work forever, you are cunning, but so is he.You might just as well give up; the longer you drag this out, the more he will punish you later. "

" Are you prepared to tell me that my father is dead? "

" What? "

" If he is alive, tell me how this would be a 'game'? It is my duty to continue to act in a manner befitting royalty, until such a time as I learn that my title is meaningless due to the demise of my father at the hands of _someone_ other than myself. " 

Zarbon almost laughed sometimes it was absolutely astonishing… how could one of the races generally considered the stupidest in most of known space have produced a 5-year-old with such a quick mind and such a deep understanding of decorum and honor? " Your father is a valuable ally to the empire of Lord Frieza, he has not been harmed, nor will he be so long as you do as you are told. "

" Why the threat? I _have_ been doing as I have been asked, why would you think things would be different here? Don't tell me you think just because I have been biting holes in my tongue for the last three months, that I cannot continue to do so. I am not so weak willed as you seem to think, and don't insult me again by insinuating otherwise. " Vegeta grunted, but actually managed a calm voice. Still, that was the first open threat he had been given in the entire three moths since leaving home, and he found it a little unnerving. He kept his expression carefully guarded though and Zarbon chuckled a little. 

" I have been through what Lord Frieza will do to you. Did you know that? "

" So I suppose being back here has some interesting memories for you then. "

" Yes, like you I was a particular favorite of his, and I suppose you could say that I still am. This is a very friendly warning, Prince Vegeta… Frieza's favor can be a double-edged sword, never depend on it for anything, and never spurn it. Both can have deadly consequences. "

" So why are you warning me? " 

" I don't really know, but I do know there is something special about you, maybe you can succeed where others have failed. "

" Failed at what? "

Zarbon was silent for a long moment. Frieza would be angry if he knew any of his 'students' had been shown the 10th vault… " Come along, Prince Vegeta, I will show you to your room now. Just be warned that Frieza is not a forgiving master… to anyone. Even his favorites can be… replaced if they earn too much of his displeasure. " 

" Earning his displeasure is so easy it's a wonder he has anyone left to serve him. "

" Those who are wise learn to blend in, not to be noticed… but those who will not, or cannot do this, become his favorites. Lord Frieza, his father, and his brother believe they are the oldest of all living dynasties, and as such still adhere to the ancient customs. They never acknowledge or even notice servants until they do something to warrant their interest or wrath. You also play by that rule with everyone except Napa; it is painfully obvious that he was the one who raised you. "

" Yes, you could say that but what does that have to do with anything? " Vegeta barely noticed the palace's elegance and style until they arrived at a massive white marble staircase with a three-tiered fountain at it's stately landing. The lighting above was a single crystal chandelier… 20 feet in diameter. Also at the landing, was an elegant hall, partially hidden by the mammoth fountain. The hall didn't seem particularly long though, as if it were not to be noticed, and it's ceiling was relatively low. Vegeta was about to inquire about it when Zarbon spoke first. 

" You should have been given several bodyguards, not one, you're too used to him, you even like having Napa around, and that could get him killed. "

" Why would Frieza want to kill a mere servant with less power than I have? If he is truly old school, he shouldn't even know Napa exists. "

" He knows your bodyguard exists because _you_ know he exists. "

" I don't understand, Napa is pretty harmless. The power levels of many of Lord Frieza's soldiers are common knowledge and in comparison, Napa's 2050 is _nothing._ You know it as well as I do. " 

Zarbon was quiet again for a moment. As always the prince's logic was sound, but some of Frieza's lessons were pretty illogical in the way they were carried out. " Power isn't the point here. Sometimes it is those we might try to protect that we get attached to. Not all of Frieza's lessons seem practical… until you run into the same situation later… "

" Me protect Napa? " Vegeta laughed, shaking his head. " Why would I? Napa may have been my guardian since I was born, but he is because he took a dozen or so vows to die protecting _me… if necessary_. Napa would die for me proudly Zarbon, he is an Elite, and he was born to directly serve my father, which he did for over twenty years with great distinction. For me to attempt to protect him would be a grave insult, I will not dishonor him or my father's wish that he be my only protector… So where was this discussion going, Napa had better not already be dead. " 

" Certainly not. Napa and Radditz are on Jun-Dei 6, exterminating a pocket of resistance that was previously stopping the purge by Frieza's regulars. Napa's last report was early this morning; he expects to be leaving the planet in about 36 hours… Apparently the natives… taste good there. " 

If it was possible for Zarbon to turn any greener, he just did. Vegeta tried not to laugh; he knew the Saurians rarely ate their conquered enemies; because in their humanoid forms they considered themselves too civilized for that and were genuinely appalled at those who did. " Yes that sounds like Napa… but who is Radditz? "

" Another Saiyan, of course, your father sent him to us to serve you. "

" I have never heard of him, what do you know about him? "

" Suspicious of your own warriors? " Zarbon arched one eyebrow curiously, but didn't give him a chance to speak. " We know he is a soldier third class, and his power level is 820, but he isn't all that much older than you are. He is the son of Bardock and has just returned from his 4th successful purge, not bad for a twelve year old. "

" If he is twelve, that means he is an adult, Zarbon. Saiyans grow up fast. Still, a warrior third class with a power of 820 is very good. He may have some potential. So where are we going? " 

" Your chambers, of course. "

" OH! Have I moved from prisoner to house slave already? Interesting. " The prince said, with a perfectly straight face.

Had Frieza been present, Zarbon wouldn't have laughed, but, since it was just the two of them, and Dodoria was in the training hall, Zarbon decided he could, this time. " So you _were_ pissed about the cell, we knew you were, but it couldn't be helped, Frieza couldn't risk putting you in the ship's barracks, and putting Shannelle there would've gotten her killed… "

" You want me to believe there was only one guest chamber on a ship that size? You are an outstanding liar, Zarbon, but you're not _that_ good. "

" We had four ambassadors on board for the entire journey, several of which have permanent rooms in the palace.The other two are going on to visit King Kold. " 

Vegeta knew Zarbon was only covering Frieza's worst oversight with a little sugar, but, he decided to let it slide, and Zarbon's amber eyes gave just a hint of his relief, when he made not further comment.

" Frieza gave me the liberty of choosing your quarters, so I picked this one, it has the best view of any room in the West Hall. Your things are waiting for you inside. The furniture is a little Spartan, but since you will be here for the next fifteen or twenty years, we will find replacements for anything you don't like. You may join us for the evening meal in the great hall in an hour, or, I can have it sent to your room, and we can continue the tour in the morning. I have allowed you three days before you begin classes, to accustom yourself to the school and its grounds; after all, this is your new home. Any questions so far? "

" They can wait. "

" Is there anything you need, before I make my rounds then? And what would you like to do about dinner? "

" Have it sent to my room. "

" Will you be up at 0700 tomorrow?

" I'll be up at 0530, as always. " 

" When your training begins, you'll be glad you are used to awakening so early, but for the next three days, if you choose, you may sleep in. "

" Saiyans don't need as much sleep as most other races Zarbon, you should know that. Being overly rested leads to laziness, and complacency- neither are characteristics of Saiyans. " He wasn't tired, but he wanted to remain in his room unattended, he needed time to think. He shook his head a little as he glanced around his new quarters.

Spartan was a very good description of this room and the three that adjoined it. The furniture was also much different than the delicate end tables, chairs and benches he had seen in the rest of the palace. Everything in here was heavy and durable. Metal accents and carvings of mythical animal were very boldly represented on the dinner table, and it's four chairs. The bed was also large and carved with dragons and other creatures he had once considered only make-believe… he frowned, his exploration of his room halted as he realized he had not seen Shani. 

He considered going to look for her quietly, but he had no idea where to start, and he didn't know if Zarbon's rounds would bring him back here eventually or not. Vegeta shrugged and resigned himself to wondering what would happen the next day.

He went over to a large window that curved outward and was framed by floor to ceiling bookcases on each side and looked out. The grounds were magnificent. There were miles of gardens, some of them contained ornate patterns of color in the placement of the flowers, and others had fountains and statuary as their main focus. And surrounding it all was a deep green forest, and a spacious lawn, which looked suspiciously like parade grounds to him. Toward the western most edge of his view, was a large richly tiled square in the grass, it was raised, and stood out prominently in the gardens. Curious, he looked at it more carefully. The square was about 200 feet across and it had no furniture or railing. There was a disturbing picture in the arrangement of the tiles as well, a close-up of a deathly pale face with its eyes and mouth sewn shut and wearing some sort of a cowl on his scared features. Quite obviously it was a slave… but who would disfigure such a lowly creature that way? 

Vegeta shook his head, turning away from the window. And thought of what Zarbon had told him. 'Radditz was sent to us to serve you by your father… '

" Liar. " Vegeta grunted, shaking his head. Third class citizens or warriors NEVER directly attended Saiyan royalty. The other four noble houses served no other purpose than to supply the next generation of elite bodyguards and warriors, as well as the queen to stand beside each new king. Descended from each of the four greatest warriors to come out of the battles with the Truffles, the noble houses were in direct competition for the prestigious position of serving the royal house. That was how they continued to improve and maintain the strong bloodlines, and why Vegeta knew that he could trust Napa, just as his father still did. Napa was from the house considered to be the most powerful after the Vegeta house; they were also the ones who turned out the most loyal and disciplined warriors. There was one exception to that… some elite when his grandfather was king had refused to send his son away on a purge mission! Some idiot named Brock, one of the few interesting tidbits his history tutor had come up with. Vegeta shrugged, but continued to wonder about it for a moment longer, Brock's boldness had cost him his status as an elite, but he did get to train his son himself, remaining on their home planet. He named the kid Bardock or something like that. Vegeta had heard his father and Napa mention that name before, something about him being a pretty smart scientist or something, he hadn't been paying much attention at the time, but he didn't figure it mattered anymore… the old ways and even the certainty of his future were gone. 

He sank into a chair and sighed heavily. Frieza had changed everything somehow, he knew it; it was like a feeling of helplessness from watching a play or an ancient battle he had seen but not taken part in. The danger was there, and he wanted to fix it … but he was powerless to help, or interfere. Perhaps Shani and Blaze were right… maybe it _wasn't _possible to fight destiny.

Well, what do you think now, my loyal readers? I humbly beg for your opinions and reviews. Next chapter will introduce a bunch of new characters, some friendly, some not, and we will get to find out what's going on with Napa and Radditz. It's almost time for the real training to start, and what's up with Zarbon? Does any one have an opinion on Shani and Blaze? You will get to know them better here shortly, so I hope you like them. Well, thanks in advance, and PLEASE, please, please review! Hehe J


	10. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ and I will never profit from this story. A few new characters will be introduced soon, and they, like Shani and Blaze, will be mine.

Notes: I used Earth designations for the upper classmen because I didn't feel like making up different ones. 

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 9

At exactly 0700, Vegeta heard a knock at his door. At first he made no move to answer it, but then he remembered that his bodyguard had been borrowed for a mission while he was unconscious, and had not yet been returned to him. Vegeta had already completed a warm up workout and finished his morning meditation, and decided not to wear his cape this morning. He casually opened the door to see a rather sleepy looking Zarbon staring absently at the now open door.

" Good morning, Zarbon. " The prince said mischievously.

Zarbon growled at him and then sighed. " Well, I hope you're ready, there is a lot to see today. "

" I'm more ready than you are apparently. So where are we going first? "

Zarbon gave him a suspicious look, even when Frieza was in a bad mood the little Saiyan was never this docile. " Down to the great hall, for breakfast. Perhaps you might run into a few of your classmates. "

Vegeta was suddenly curious; he hadn't expected this at all. " Classmates? "

" Yes, of course, Frieza has a few hundred students at this particular school. Once it used to be in the other buildings we will visit later, but he got tired of tearing up his gardens to make room for more dormitories and moved the students into his palace. "

" What do you mean _this_ school? "

" There are two others, both of them closer to his father's great empire, so naturally he favors this one. The others he has set up for those with no real fighting ability, but whose planets are valuable for other things. Those kids are unbelievably lucky; they almost never have to see… well, Lord Frieza, they don't take any classes in fighting, but still get to take strategy courses. Languages, arts, sciences, you name it they get it too, but they don't have to do any fighting, and they come here for the End of Term Ball, and they talk down to you, like you are some sort of an insect… "

" How long is a term, here? "

" Twenty years for most, fifteen in my case, but I REALLY worked for it. " Zarbon shook his head, looking quite awake now, Vegeta had a feeling he wasn't going to get any more honesty out of Zarbon for a while, but that certainly spoke volumes about what it was going to be like, around here. Vegeta followed Zarbon down the brightly lit halls pretending to listen as he pointed out the different halls for the different age groups. Vegeta almost laughed, Zarbon had almost called the little pink tyrant something other than Lord Frieza, that would've been interesting, but when Zarbon caught himself, he had awakened a bit more, and realized he wasn't supposed to say anything about Frieza's school that might make one of their young pupils unwilling to attend. Trouble with that was that Vegeta already had no interest in being here!

" So where is everyone else this morning? " As with the previous evening, he had noticed the long halls were utterly deserted. Except for the two of them.

" The seniors, who are close to graduation are on holiday, they are still on this planet, but they are in its major resort city, enjoying the beach. "

" The juniors and sophomores are out in the field, on war maneuvers, practicing, getting ready to compete for the war games trophy, this years juniors won as sophomores, they will win this year too. "

" How can you be so sure? "

" It's my brother that's leading them. "

" _You_ have a brother? "

Zarbon laughed. " Why does that surprise you? "

Vegeta shrugged. " Why is he here? "

Zarbon sobered a little, and his amber eyes didn't shine as he smirked down at Vegeta. " Come on, the cooks are really bitchy if you're late for breakfast… or any other meal for that matter. "

Vegeta wasn't sure what was going on with Zarbon, and he still didn't trust him. He had treated him too coldly for too long. Still, one thing was obvious, he really wasn't happy with Frieza and it had something to do with his brother. He stepped up to the large window of the spotless kitchen and glanced inside. The cooks were a pair of large, glossy white-skinned creatures with absolutely no hair, and large violet eyes. They were dressed in blue uniforms and each of them had four arms carrying out several tasks with tremendous efficiency. 

" Oh, look what the dog dragged in, what can we do for you Zarbon, you're up early this morning. So who was she? Did she kick you out of bed? " One of the creatures quipped mischievously.

" Nice to see you too, Elda. " Zarbon chuckled. " No, I'm in the middle of giving a tour this morning. " 

" To who? That short little thing? " Elda giggled, leaning over the counter to see Vegeta, who glared at her and levitated to her eye level. "My, you're gonn'a be a cute one some day.Different than you, Zarbon, but damn fine all the same. "

" What are you? " Vegeta snorted indignantly.

" I am a White Harp, and the greatest cook in the known universe, and this is my daughter and protégé Alta. And let me guess, you would be the Saiyan Prince everyone's been talkin' about?Well, handsome, what would you like to eat this morning? And you too, Zarbon, honey? "

Zarbon just chuckled. " How about just two of your usual. "

" Commin' right up there honey. "

In just a few seconds, there were several large trays of food ready for them. Zarbon didn't stop at any of the tables in the huge great hall, though; he led Vegeta into a small, anti chamber that was decorated in the same style and colors as the elegant dinning hall, but at a much quieter size. " Normally you'll sit out there, but I wanted to continue our discussion… "

" That is the most obnoxious servant I have ever seen, how does Frieza put up with that thing? "

" Frieza never goes to the kitchen, so he doesn't know about her. You'll get used to her. "

" I'd rather not. "

" Then you haven't tried the food yet. "

Several hours later, they had finished the tour of the massive palace itself, and were heading outside to see the gardens and the other buildings in the compound. " You never finished telling me where the other students were. "

" That's right, by now the freshmen have finished two classes and are on their way to… Biology. Eighth graders are in… a language class, seventh grade should be on their way thorough these doors in about two minutes, they are changing before going to a physical training class, and I have no idea where the other six grades would be, I've been away for too long. But, your class is in a beginning language class, and from there they'll go to… a mathematics class.

" You put me into a class with… " Vegeta snorted, trying not to laugh. " Am I teaching? Or were you planning to have me kill the teacher when she talks to me in a little baby voice? You know I'll do it. "

Zarbon nodded, remembering all too clearly when the three-year-old prince had destroyed a tutor who had smacked him because the prince didn't follow instructions when the teacher didn't address him in adult fashion. With Frieza's instructors for the youngest children, it would almost certainly happen again… 

" Oh my… KAMI! Damn it, VEGETA!! You better not be telling our children that you killed a teacher! " Bulma gasped, interrupting.

" Not since I was three, woman, what do you want me to say? "

" Couldn't you have left that part out? "

" I WARNED you _before_ I started this that no I will not. And I am getting damn tired of these interruptions!! " Vegeta snarled, scaring the three little girls in front of him. " And don't you three dare cry! It happened a very long time ago, and he died quite painlessly, he was dead before he hit the ground and he never saw it coming. Besides, if I hadn't done it, Napa would have, and then he would've lingered for at least a week in pain. "

" How'd you kill him? " Gohan asked quietly.

Vegeta's midnight eyes turned mischievous and slightly cruel, but he just shrugged. " That's not relevant, but it was fast. Trust me. " 

" Oh daddy, " Bra sighed finally, and smiled, her large blue eyes lit up sweetly. " Are you going to tell us about Radditz and Napa again, now? And how about the little princess? "

Napa stood on a lonely cliff overlooking the battlefield. The enemy was gone, utterly destroyed. When they realized that even their largest weapons weren't working, the tiny yellow-orange creatures tried to run, but Radditz cut off their escape from that direction. These creatures were not fighters; they didn't have a single power level of over 30 among the entire world of them. They had only their high tech weaponry to protect them, and it had been worse than a slaughter against two Saiyan warriors. 

Napa glanced at Radditz, the young warrior was showing promise, that much was for sure, and he had reveled in the battle; and was ready even now to continue fighting if necessary. The creatures they had demolished were really harmless to Frieza and his regulars apart from their weaponry, and they had very few of these gadgets. They spoke no language that he could tell, and had no organizational skills, either their generals were already dead; or their world was just that peaceful. 

Radditz ripped into another piece of meat from the leg bone of another creature he had killed, and glanced at Napa… The massive elite was a great fighter, and Radditz shivered at the thought of having to fight him, but at the same time, he knew that once he or Vegeta figured out the truth… No, he told himself, that wouldn't happen. He had wanted to see how his power measured up to that of an elite… and Vegeta was still his prince, the rightful ruler of the Saiyans, and had done nothing to deserve treachery. He would wait, and see. Radditz knew his father had been a fool, trying to stand against Frieza. The king and that ridiculous order to attack Frieza's ship had been no better. Radditz knew his choice of actions had lead to the deaths of his people, telling Frieza of the king's orders had been a bold move, one that could've cost him everything as well, but at least he was still alive. He hoped that the Prince wasn't as intelligent as Napa seemed to think he was. 

Frieza also had warned him of the two remaining Saiyans, Napa he had said, was blindly loyal, he would follow his prince straight into hell, convinced that Vegeta alone could put out the fires… while Vegeta probably could too, a good sized chunk of them anyway… Thinking of his now lost race, he smirked, the old ways were dead, and it was time to move on, if only he could believe Vegeta and Napa would see it that way…

Shani squirmed in her chair as the teacher's monologue at the front of the classroom continued. Being in class after the month and a half she had spent playing with Vegeta on Frieza's ship was hard. When the order came to open his or her workbooks, Shani grumbled something unladylike and smirked as no one heard it. A flicker of movement caught her eye in the hall. Vegeta?!? He was with Zarbon… did she dare? 

" Princess Silversong, will you please pay attention? "

" I'm sorry Mrs. Wendlin, may I please be excused, I'm not feeling well. "

" Class is almost over, young lady, can't you wait? "

" No. "

Being so tiny and delicate had definite advantages; she looked so frail if she played sick every day these oversized fools would buy it every time. Compared to most of those present at this school, she was hardly worth noticing, until someone looked at her face, she knew she was pretty, but this was insane. It was hard enough being sneaky without Blaze catching her, but being so much prettier than the rest of these creatures was bound to get her noticed by someone eventually. 

Shani caught up to Vegeta and Zarbon easily, in absolute silence, but Vegeta still turned to face her a moment before she spoke.

" Mr. Zarbon, sir, may I please speak to Vegeta? "

" What class are you supposed to be in? "

" Oh, just a study hall, " she said brightly, knowing her cheerfulness was the best way to get rid of Dodoria, Zarbon, and Napa. " May I please? "

" Not now, we are on a tour right now. "

" A tour?!? Oh, please, let me! I really need the practice; after all, you don't want poor Dodoria to have to walk me to the little girl's room in the east wing of the science building again, do you? "

Zarbon gave her a dubious look but before he could say anything, his scouter flickered to life, and Dodoria summoned him to something called the 10th Vault. 

" Not so loud you idiot! " Zarbon hissed at his fellow henchman, over the scouter. " Only Frieza's two favorites… I'll be there in a minute… if it's an emergency why isn't Captain Ginue helping you? Shut up, I'm on my way. "

" Something wrong? " Vegeta smirked. Zarbon glared at him, but controlled his temper due to the presence of Shani.

" Nothing either of you should be concerned with. Stay out of trouble, both of you. "

" We will. " Shani said sweetly, watching him stalk off down the wide hallway, when he was gone, she pounced on Vegeta, hugging him tightly. "Are you alright? Napa and I were worried. "

" Eeeww, get off of me, I'm fine. " He snapped, but her bright smile never faded. " How long have we been here? "

" Five days. They didn't tell you? "

" I didn't ask Zarbon, because I wasn't sure he'd tell the truth. "

" Mr. Zarbon's not that bad. Have you seen the science building yet? "

" I'm more interested in the coliseum, but no. "

" The coliseum's alright, but I like the art museum, the library and the atrium in the science building. "

" Don't tell me you like it here. "

" It's kind of scary at night, but in the day it's ok. The teachers are all really nice, and Zarbon and Dodoria have to be nice to us around the other kids. Some of the other kids were telling me about the school play that's going to be starting soon. I kinda wann'a be in it… "

" Do you know who Captain Ginue is? "

" I saw him once from down one of the hallways… he's huge! I'm sure he's bigger than Dodoria… well not fatter, but taller. He's purple and he's some kind of a really powerful warrior that works for Frieza. From what I've heard, he's not very nice. "

" What's he here for? "

" I don't know… " She paused, and looked around, seeing no one else, she took Vegeta's hand and led him into a shadowed corner. " Some of the pass codes in here are even too hard for me to break. I mean, I could do it if I had more time, but it seems like we're watched all the time. "

" That's because we are, then. It only makes sense, to Frieza; even one of us is worth what two, three times our weight in gold? Are there really a few hundred kids here? "

" We're separated into age categories, but yeah. They keep us apart so us little kids 

won't get picked on, but I've seen some of the older ones. "

" Zarbon says that Frieza has two other schools even. This one is just for the kids with the potential to be fighters. "

" Really? It's no wonder that the War Games are such a big deal here, then. "

" What do you mean? "

" Come with me. But, we have to be kind of quiet, only juniors and seniors are supposed to come to this place. "

" Then why do you know about it? "

Shani gave him an innocent look and led him into an elegant one-story building to the left of the coliseum. " The seniors call this the Hall of Glory or something, this whole building is a trophy case, for the War Games and stuff. Wann'a see someone we know? "

He shrugged. And followed her to the very end of the hallway. There amid the War Games trophies, and class lists, was a picture of Zarbon and two trophies set apart from the others in the case. "So he really did get stuck here. Team Captain, and top honor graduate. Took him fifteen years… "

" Look over here. " Shani whispered from the other side of the hall.

" What? "

" These are Frieza's. "

" Frieza's? What're they doing here? "

" Yeah. When he took over this system, he moved the whole school here. His brother also went here, but I don't see anything of his, do you? "

" Nope. Frieza and his brother hate each other… You can't really be serious about liking it here, can you? "

" Well, I never had anyone to play with until now, and the classes aren't that hard, I don't mind it, I guess. When you meet some of the other kids maybe you'll…"

" I can't believe you, Shani! We're fucking prisoners here, and you want to stay? "

" There just isn't any way out. Frieza's ship is the only one to come or go. Face it, we're stuck, can't we just make the best of it, Vegeta? "

" For now, _maybe_. Come on, let's go. Are you really done for the day? "

" Yeah, I told my language teacher I was sick, why? "

" Liar. " Vegeta smirked, knowing Shani was dying to show him all the other stuff she'd found that she wasn't supposed to know about. " We're going to finish the rest of the tour. But what was that about making Dodoria take you to the bathroom? " 

" I was just exploring the Science building and he caught me. I can't help it that he believed me when I said I was lost. "

Well, I just love my little tree-hugger (Shani); elves are so useful for getting into things… like locked doors, and trouble… To those of you out there who are Radditz fans and are cursing my name in every language you know, fear not, you will forgive me, but things have to get worse before they can get better. Frieza and all the bad stuff that'll eventually happen changes everybody, not just for the worse… in some cases. Hehe, the more reviews I get to read, the faster I'll post the next chapter… hint, hint!!!! J


	11. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 10

Disclaimer: … I do not own DBZ and I never will. Shani, Blaze, Kor, Tyson, Taja and Gunnar, are mine though, present to help me tell the story. 

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 10

By the time they got back to their hall in the palace/dormitory, Vegeta and Shani had been in around, and even under almost every one of the other 8 buildings in the school compound at least once, and Vegeta was sure they were going to find something that would show her that this wasn't a school, but a prison. No such luck though… at least not yet, all they had really succeeded in doing was missing dinner, and getting filthy. All the same, it had been kind of fun, though. " Well, which one's yours? "

" The one down on the west end, right side. "

" Really, I'm the one right next to you. Oh, I've gotta show you something! "

" What now, can't it wait? "

" No! Get in here and shut the door. "

Vegeta sighed and followed her into her room. She went into the oversized closet… and didn't come back out. 

" Very funny, I've seen closets before, Shani. They work best for holding clothes… "

" And secret passages. " She giggled, and came out of her closet carrying his red cloak.

" That's not funny. " He growled, about to take it back, when he looked past her and saw straight into his room. " That wasn't there this morning. Who put this in here? "

" Secret passages are in all the royal houses where we come from, Prince Vegeta. " Blaze said, glancing over at the two of them from her perch on top of Shani's vanity mirror. " Most likely this one was not an escape route, though. "

" Well then what was it, Blaze? "

" I shouldn't say. You're too young. "

" Bullshit, if it connects our rooms then it affects us, and we ought to know about it. And why it's here in the first place. "

" Well, putting it that way… " The little dragon shrugged. " These two rooms are good sized, command an excellent view but are _not_ part of the old guest wing, or the royal apartments either. "

" So? "

" So… Shani your mother would kill me… well she wouldn't be happy if she knew I was telling you this at your age… but, I'd say this is the room built to house the mistress of the original owner of the palace. "

" You mean the queen? Or whatever? "

" No, I mean the lord's lover. Whether based on love, honor or just business, where palaces like this are built, Marriage among the royals is very seldom taken seriously for very long. "

Shani and Vegeta looked at each other and scowled " Eeeww! Blaze that's disgusting! When I get home I'm telling mom I'm never getting married. "

" No you're not, young lady… or, you can say it all you want, but you will get married eventually. " Blaze laughed.

" Why should she? I'm not getting married either, "

" Planning on ruling forever, without an heir, Vegeta? " Blaze said, practically rolling off the vanity with her hysterical giggling.

Vegeta said nothing, just remaining silent, not caring whether he had an heir or not.

" Hey Vegeta, I don't have class tomorrow or the next day, are we going to explore some more in the morning? "

" Yeah, but have you looked around outside at all? "

" Not really, that big tile square out there gives me the chills. "

" If you're scared you can stay here. " He shrugged.

She glared at him, making her silver eyes flash brightly. " I am not! I just heard that that's some sort of a grave or something. "

" Yeah right, " Vegeta chuckled, " We used to have some things like that where I'm from. Knowing Frieza it's more likely that it's a small arena, built before the coliseum. Two people meet in the center and fight… My father's favorite place to meditate was one of those…"

" And what about the picture? "

He laughed, " Maybe that's what happens if you loose. " 

The two of them spent most of their time exploring and observing the other kids, over the next two days. Most of the others didn't seem to know that there was anything to the palace but a first rate school which, for the most part, was fairly relaxed, in atmosphere. Nothing seemed terribly wrong to Vegeta's keen senses, but he also knew that Frieza was not back yet from wherever he'd gone. The atmosphere would most likely change when Frieza returned. For the most part, even Zarbon and Dodoria stayed in the wings, apparently content to oversee things from the shadows, knowing Frieza's precious 'students' were trapped like rats and didn't even know it. 

Monday morning rolled around and Vegeta was up and ready for his first day in class long before he heard Shani start to stir in her room at all. Wearing a black bodysuit and no armor or cape, he felt almost naked, but shrugged at least he was used to what he was to wear in class. 

Shani on the other hand, had to wear a body suit too, but hers had a little wrap skirt, 

like all the girls had to get used to. But she spent most mornings tugging on the tight collar of the bodysuits and couldn't seem to get used to it around her delicate throat. 

" That outfit looks perfectly scandalous. " He heard Blaze say, from the next room. " Even your mother's leather armor never hugged her figure that way. I forbid you to go to any of your physical training or combat classes dressed like that… "

So she was in some of the athletics classes too? Vegeta found that surprising, since Shani had no interest in fighting. Still, he had seen enough of her magic to know that it could be very dangerous, if she ever intended it to be…

Shani knocked on the door of the secret passage linking both of their oversized closets, determined to ignore her dragon's incessant complaining about the school uniforms. She was still much too young for it to look indecent, but by the time it would be, Shani knew she'd would be used to it… and so would everyone else. " Are you up yet, Vegeta? "

" Of course I am. "

" Ok, " She giggled, and came bounding through. " Well your room sure is different than mine… Cool, your room is part of the old tower… what's this? "

Vegeta followed her over to the corner of the wall where the rounded edge of the windows met the wall lined with bookshelves. " A bookshelf. "

" Yeah right… no look, the shelves over here aren't as deep as the ones on the other side of the window. " 

" So? "

" So, there's probably a hidden set of shelves behind this… hmmm where's the trigger? Gotcha… " Shani said, feeling under the shelves and along the tops of the books, until she found a small release trigger, and the wall of shelves opened to reveal a hidden set of shelves. On them was a lot of uninteresting, broken junk, until Shani saw a large silver key, lying under cobwebs and dust collected over decades of neglect. The key shimmered softly as she dusted it off, and picked it up.

For a while, neither said anything, just looking in shocked silence at the presence of a second secret panel in such an out of the way room. " Well, what do you suppose it goes to? " Vegeta asked finally. 

" I don't know. With all the electronic locks, I haven't seen even one door that could be opened with an actual skeleton key, especially one this big. This key is four inches long; the door it opens is either really big, or really thick. There's nothing written on it or anything… what ever it went to might not exist anymore. " She sighed, and handed it to him.

" If it does, we'll find it. "

" Zarbon and Dodoria keep the palace too carefully guarded to really look around there during the day… We'll have to ask the other kids if they've ever seen anything weird in here. "

" I doubt any of them are as perceptive as you are. "

" Maybe not, but a few of them have older brothers or sisters who had to come here to, like Tyson… he knows all the stories about this place, and Taja; she's been in trouble twice for going into the science labs and the library basement. She's in seventh grade though, so I've only talked to her a couple of times. Uh-oh… we gotta go, or we'll be late. "

" So? "

" Vegeta we can't miss class today, there's a test in language, and math too. "

" I hate school. "

" You've never been in class before, you've just had tutors, come on, and it's not that bad. You and I are being put in the third grade, where they said you won't get to kill the teachers."

In spite of Vegeta's repeated protests, the two of them went to class and managed to pay attention until lunchtime, when they sat with Shani's other friends. There were a lot of other kids, Vegeta noticed, and Dodoria stood near the kitchen window, watching the dining room, and the chaos of at least 100 k-6th graders, talking, eating and giggling. Still in spite of the noise and the occasional food fight, it wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. Shani was happiest talking to him and Gunnar and Kor, especially after the annoying bunch of girls across the table from them left. Vegeta glanced at Dodoria again. The fat pink blob was talking to a huge mountain of muscle that could only be Captain Ginue, and Zarbon; the three of them didn't look very happy.

" Uh oh, " Gunnar glanced at Frieza's men and tapped Shani on the shoulder. " I wonder what's got those three pissed off now? "

" Maybe Frieza's coming back soon? "

" Any of you know what the 10th vault is? " Vegeta asked quietly, remembering Zarbon and Dodoria's argument over the scouter a few days earlier.

" Shh, don't say that… no one really knows, but I've heard it's a room where people who piss off Frieza are put. "

" Why not call it a cell then? "

" I don't know, all I know is the last kid to get caught talking about it died. " Gunnar said softly.

" Where's Tyson? "

" Don't know, he didn't come down to breakfast either. Have you seen him, Kor? " 

" Nope. "

Kor kind of reminded Vegeta of Napa, he was already huge, and going to be even bigger, and wasn't too bright, either. Kor seemed nice though, and very quiet too. Gunnar was short, and powerful, his girth and his height seemed exactly the same, and his hair was short and wiry. Shani had told him that Gunnar was something called a dwarf from her world, but he was older than she was, so he was taken much earlier. He and Kor were both in the third grade, but to Vegeta, Gunnar seemed old enough to be a senior... so did Kor, for that matter. 

" Oh! Lookie what we have here… " Said an obnoxious voice from behind them. " Ha ha ha well if it isn't the prince of Saiyans. Damn, if they're all as short as you are, no wonder even your best fighters couldn't take my world. "

" Shut up, Blitz, leave the kid alone… "

" Make me, bitch, "

Vegeta just turned around casually and smirked at the tall, broad shouldered red skinned creature, which had just pushed an older girl with green skin and hair away from him." But Frieza still got you, didn't he, looser? "

" Why you little bastard! I'm gonn'a…"

" Gentlemen… " Came Zarbon's elegant accent, as he stepped between them. " We 

wouldn't be fighting, over here, would we? "

" No, I was just telling the little runt… er Saiyan how nice it's going to be having him here. "

" Speaking of that, you know you aren't supposed to be here for two more days. _None_ of you seniors are supposed to be back yet." Zarbon said, leveling a golden glare at their leader. " You are also forbidden to socialize with the little ones. "

" But master Zarbon… " One of the kids with Blitz started to say.

" Do you think Frieza would be happy to know that his five top seniors were picking fights with a five year old? "

" But we… "

" Silence! Report to the Coliseum now and when I get there, you all be ready to be gentlemen toward anyone Frieza brings here! Dodoria! " 

" Yes, Zarbon? " 

" See these seniors to the coliseum and get them ready for a little… practice. "

" I could've handled those losers myself, Zarbon. " Vegeta growled as they watched Dodoria escort them out of the great hall.

" I am here so that you don't have to, Vegeta. " The handsome alien shrugged, his golden eyes glinted mischievously. 

" What was that all about, Vegeta? " Shani wondered out loud. 

Vegeta chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip for a moment. " I'll be back later. "

" Vegeta! What are you going to do? "

" Nothing. "

" I'm coming with you. "

" Shani… "

" I'm coming with you. You might need my help. With whatever you're doing. "

" Not likely. " 

" I don't know what you're up to, but you better forget it. " Gunnar said warningly, 

shaking his head. " We can't miss classes around here. They punish the whole class if you get caught. "

" Like what? " 

" Extra class work, tests. "

" You're afraid of a little extra work? " Vegeta laughed. " And I thought you were going to say something bad like a public lashing. Are you sure dwarves are great warriors, Shani? "

" On our world, they're the toughest and the strongest of all the humanoid races. " Shani shrugged. 

" Well so far, I'm not impressed. " Vegeta grunted. And turned to leave, but found himself restrained by his arm. Let go or I'll make you, Gunnar. "

" You want a fight? You got one, but not in here. "

" Guys!! " Shani squeaked, following the two of them outside. " Don't do this! Vegeta, Frieza's gonn'a have kittens if you get hurt again! Gunnar, you know there is only sparring allowed, no fighting!! "

" So we'll call it sparring. Right, Gunnar? "

The dwarf nodded, his blue eyes deadly serious as he slipped a ring onto his finger and a huge battle-axe appeared in his hand.

" You use weapons? This ought to be interesting, but I hope you're faster than you look or it won't matter. " 

" And I hope you're stronger than you look. " 

Vegeta's dark eyes smoldered, as a cold little smirk settled over his features. For a moment, neither moved at the top of the outdoor arena platform. The two didn't remain still very long though, it was Gunnar that struck first, the axe lashing out for the Saiyan's chest with astonishing accuracy. He was fast too, Vegeta noted with pleasure, for all his bulk, the short little guy moved with no wasted motion, and he was strong as well. Gunnar's opening slash was well aimed and well timed, but Vegeta dodged easily, crouching low to study the other's next move. They were about the same height, but Gunnar weighed at least twice what Vegeta did. His lean build was deceptive, he was fast and light, but still strong, strong enough to catch the haft of the axe, and block Gunnar's attack. 

The dwarf arched one eyebrow and chuckled, as he elbowed his younger opponent in the face. Vegeta was knocked back, but not down, and this time he took the offensive, going in low for a sweep attack. The dwarf simply picked up his foot to dodge, and as he stepped aside, attacked low, with the axe, which might have connected if it were not for Vegeta's superior speed. The Saiyan rolled out of the way, and chuckled as Gunnar's arc of attack took him too far, putting Vegeta behind him. Vegeta allowed his opponent to turn around and gave him an expectant look. 

" Zarbon said you are five… was he serious? "

" Yes. " Vegeta smirked. " Are we gonn'a fight or not? " 

" I had to make sure I wasn't gonn'a hurt you if I actually tried to win. "

" Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you. "

" You guys! Stop it, you're gonn'a get us in trouble! " 

" It's ok Shani, we really are just playing now. " Vegeta smirked, and ducked a slash aimed for his head, as he got inside the weapon's arc, he chuckled and hit the dwarf with a vicious kick to the ribs. Gunnar released one hand from the axe and returned a punch. The two of them withdrew across the square and Vegeta and Gunnar studied each other for a moment before either moved again, neither really believing their blows had not fazed the other. Vegeta was especially confused, true he was still not attacking with his full strength, but he could see that Gunnar wasn't either. He didn't have to hit much harder that this to take down Napa, and his bodyguard was huge! He didn't have much time to wonder about it though, as Gunnar again took the offensive, the axe swept in for another headshot. Vegeta jumped back and then came back in with an elbow smash and followed it up with a hip toss. Gunnar didn't fight his momentum, and rolled to his feet, but Vegeta didn't give him time to attack again, striking his larger opponent again and again. Individually these attacks didn't seem to do much, but they were both still young, nowhere close to their full stamina and power, and eventually both were too tired to go on.

" That was really stupid you two, you could've killed each other! " Shani growled, coming up onto the huge tile square to sit with them. As she sat down, she punched each of them in their shoulder.

" Nah, that's why we were going easy at first. " Gunnar chuckled, he had taken the worst of it, but then, since he used an axe and Vegeta had gone weaponless, it was a fair trade. " You're so good now I almost dread what you'll be like as a senior. Damn, I hope you're on our team. " 

" Team? "

" Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't been asked by Zarbon to be the leader. See, in every grade, the ten best fighters are ranked and put into two groups. These groups are called teams, and when all of it's members keep their grades and stuff up, if there is a mission and they want it, if they are good enough, Frieza might assign it to them. If they succeed without interference from Frieza's regulars, the mission is given a point value. Who ever has the most points as a sophomore, their leader is the team captain for the war games, against the juniors. Usually Zarbon watches over and advises one team, and Dodoria gets the other, but this year, it'll be Captain Ginue and Zarbon. Finally it'll be a fair contest, but I still say I'd rather be on Zarbon's team. His teams are always the best, and they win, although it's almost always his sophomore and junior team leaders against each other, he doesn't play favorites, at least not that I've heard about. "

" So he's got his favorites out of every class? "

" Yes. So… who's the strongest out of this class? "

" Me… or you. If Kor were a little brighter, he'd be right behind us, but… well, he's somewhere down around 8 or so. "

" And where am I? " Shani asked, curiously.

" I don't know. We haven't been tested since you two were brought in. They are probably waiting until Friday to test us again. Is it true that you actually fought a mature fire ooze and won, by yourself? "

" If that big ugly orange blob was a fire ooze, yeah, but what's the big deal? It was stupid, gave itself away. And how did you find out? "

" Word travels fast around the school, anytime one of Frieza's favorites does something, everybody hears about it whether they want to or not. In the case of the seniors we met today. Well I guess that means you're gonn'a be one of the kids everybody hates or really likes. Well, it's time for me to go, I'm probably late for my etiquette class. Hey, what's so funny, Shani? "

Shani couldn't help it. She was rolling on the floor with hysterical laughter picturing Gunnar in Mr. Poupon's etiquette class, and found it so amusing that she could hardly wave at him as the dwarf left. Next to her, Vegeta sighed, and remained quiet. " Well, don't worry, Vegeta, I like you. And I know Gunnar does too, and so does Blaze. "

He rolled his eyes and blushed a little, but stood up and dusted himself off. " Whatever. You really want to come with me? "

"Yeah! Where are we going? " 

" Zarbon and Dodoria are in the coliseum, which leaves only one guard free to watch the Palace- and 6 other buildings. " 

" You sure you're not an elf? " Shani giggled, as they headed for the immaculately kept palace. 

Well, I never did find the missing disk, but here are most of the contents. I hope I have done a decent job of sifting through what little remained of my paper notes for this chapter. Anyway, I apologize if this chapter feels rushed, but I couldn't (in good conscience) wait another moment to get it up, though!! I will continue to search for my missing disk and if it turns up, I will post the real chapter, the way I intended it to be seen!! Well, thanks for sticking with me so far… you guys are the greatest, and you know who you are! Next chappy of Shadows ought to up and running in about three days!


	12. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Still don't own nothin' but Shani, Blaze, Gunnar and Kor…

Notes: If you think you recognize the name Gouken… SF fans… yep, I got lazy and cut the greatest sensei of all Capcom-dom out of his universe and pasted him in here.

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 11

Shani put her books and her mini computer onto the dresser and headed back to Vegeta's room silently, so as not to awaken Blaze, who slept peacefully on her pillow. It was hard not to touch her; Blaze was sleek and beautiful, her red scales shinning under the soft light from a light spell that she must have cast before her nap. The tiny dragon was curled into a ball, and looked more like a toy than a magic user that was nearly as powerful as Shani herself. She smiled to herself as she closed the closet door between their rooms, and found Vegeta lying on his bed silently staring at the ceiling. 

He knew she was there, she felt his Ki read her presence as she entered, and then withdraw away from her. He made no attempt to greet her as she came toward him, and had been silent or sarcastic since their third class this morning. Even when he was in a bad mood, it was usually easy for her to bring him out of it. So far, he hadn't even tried to argue with her or skip class all day.

" Vegeta?? Come on, we gotta go, or we're gonn'a be late. "

" So, it's supper, not a class. "

" I thought you Saiyans were supposed to be hungry all the time. "

" That's the big dumb ones like Napa. " Vegeta shrugged, not looking at her.

" That's not nice. Napa's very loyal to you. "

" Yes, my father trained his lap dog well, didn't he? "

"What's gotten into you today, Vegeta? Are you still mad 'cuz we didn't find anything interesting after all that searching yesterday? "

" No. "

" Are you mad because Frieza will be back next week? "

" No. "

" What's bugging you then? "

" You. "

" Ok, fine. You stay up here and sulk, if you want to… but I'd come eat if I were you. We have our physical training class in two hours, ya know, and I... "

" Zarbon told me I'm being sent on a mission in two days. " Vegeta growled softly.

" Is that why they took you out of Mr. Poupon'setiquette class this morning? And what kind of a mission could they possibly have for one little kid?"

Vegeta gave her an exasperated look, and then rolled his eyes. " A purge mission, Shani. "

" What?? You're not old enough for that! Besides, Napa and Radditz won't be back for at least another four days… isn't that what you said Dodoria told you this morning?"

" If I wasn't the prince I would've been sent almost immediately after birth. I was born ready to do this. As for Napa and Radditz, they are probably being sent out again immediately after they get back. If I'm not here to know about it, I can't stop him from sending them out again, now can I? "

" Why do you have go on such an awful mission, and why alone? "

"Frieza's orders. "

" Vegeta… " Shani ventured quietly.

" What? "

" I know you are a strong fighter, so… why don't you look happy about going? You're always saying how boring it is here at school. "

" It isn't the fighting. It's taking Frieza's commands I dislike. "

" I guess... How long will you be gone? "

" Average power for this world is less than 60. The mission itself will be easy, four days at the longest. Getting there and back is what will take a while. "

" Are Napa and Radditz meeting you there? "

" No. I'm going alone. Better go eat, Shani, there isn't much time left. " 

" I'm not hungry anymore either. "

" You don't eat enough to keep alive as it is. "

" Neither do you lately, so don't give me that, Vegeta, let's both go. " 

" No. " 

" Fine then, you, stubborn monkey! " Shani stifled a giggle, and shoved him. " We'll both starve. "

He snorted and pushed her back, but lightly, so as not to hurt her. " At least I'm not a weakling tree hugger. "

" Well… got any homework? "

" No. Got it all done in study period and art class. "

" You're supposed to do art in art class, Vegeta. "

" And you're supposed to actually learn the languages in language class. "

" I am learning the language. "

" Without your magic. "

" Does that mean in the physical training classes you can't use your ki? "

" Bad example, we're taking that class to learn to control ki… I was just born with understanding and control of those powers. "

" And I was born with my magic. Shade, my panther bonded to me an hour after I was born, and Midnight and I bonded four hours later. It's the same thing, my magic is as natural to me as your ability to fight and control your ki. "

" Who are Shade and Midnight? You've never mentioned them before. "

" They are my true familiars. Blaze is actually my mothers… Midnight is a baby spell dragon. He can't really even talk yet, he just babbles. You should see him; he's got black scales that shine purple and blue when the light hits him, and the bluest eyes you have ever seen… He's the first ever baby Spell dragon, the son of Blaze, and my aunt's Spell Dragon named Darkness. " Shani sighed, and a half smile settled over her golden features. " Shade is a 250-pound leopard with eyes like emeralds and a coat so black she completely disappears in a half lit room… I miss them… Did you have any pets, Vegeta? " 

" Does Napa count? He does what I say, follows me everywhere and bothers me all of the time. " 

" Vegeta! That was mean! "

" So why are you laughing? "

" 'Cuz that's the way I used to feel about my bodyguards. Their names were Trent and Logan, and they were always with me. I got so used to having them around that… I wasn't sure I would be able to go through with it, when it came time to come on board Frieza's ship without them. I'm going to miss them even more while you're gone. You're lucky to have Napa. I know, I know you're stronger than he is, but he's still an adult, and like it or not, you are still a kid, a very _little_ kid. " 

" Yeah, well, I'm still taller than you. "

" Only because of your hair. "

" Still makes me taller. "

" OK, All hail Vegeta and his pointy hair. " Shani stood up straight and gave him a mock salute, then bounded away but was disappointed when he made no move to pounce or chase her… He wasn't even looking at her. " Hmmm… I know something that'll cheer you up. "

" I'm not sad, I'm… I'm getting pretty mad at you, though. "

" Yep, you're sad, come on let's go. "

" Where? "

" Oh… I just saw a list this morning that Zarbon's been hiding for the last… oh six days. Gunner was right; you are the strongest in our class… "

" And why does that surprise you?"

" It doesn't… but it was interesting to see that you are stronger at five than anyone else in the school up to the seventh grade, though. "

" What? "

" Zarbon posted the list this morning and the numbers were right on it. "

" So where do you rank? "

" Third. I just can't power up the way you guys do… "

" Sure you can. There is more dormant energy in you than there is in the rest of our class combined, Shani. You just have to channel it, take control of it. "

" Personally I think I'd rather use my magic, and to do that you sort of… well- ask the energy that touches all life, to do your bidding. Then you release it again, sort of a give and take. Controlling my ki makes me feel like I'm hurting the balance, it is only used to destroy… magic can destroy, but it can also heal… there is a balance to it that touches all things and all life, to upset this balance is to kill the very essence of magic, and life itself… "

Vegeta sat upon his elbow and looked at her curiously. " Is it really that different, using magic and ki? They almost sound like the same force to me… especially when you said magic is balanced. Remember what Master Gouken said? Ki is always balanced, there is positive and negative, and the positive is the energy of light and life. Negative ki is the energy of decay and darkness, wouldn't that be like good and evil magic? "

" Kind of… but all life, and all death has the potential to serve good or evil. It isn't the magic that is good or bad, it all depends on who is using it, and what they mean to do with it. To some people the ends are more important than the means… I guess, when fighting evil… we have to step back, though, take a look at ourselves and be sure we are not becoming what we are trying to destroy. "

" Hmmm. where did you hear that, Shani? "

" My philosophy tutor. "

" Philosophy? "

" Yeah, it's incredibly boring, but it teaches you how to look at life and ourselves from different perspectives. We're going to be stuck in it next quarter. Well, time for class, or are you skipping that too? "

" Not this class. I think we ought to have Physical Training everyday. "

" Just because you're stronger than half the school, doesn't mean you need to show off everyday. Some of us can fly too, ya know, it's just that not all of us have to use our ki to do it. "

" Aw, you're getting it, " Vegeta said in mock sympathy. " besides, isn't one of the rules in Tarchen to arm yourself with as many options as possible? You said yourself that your magic can't always be used. "

" Don't remind me… how'd you get to be so good at Tarchen so fast anyway? Blaze says you're winning so far. " 

" Well, I don't know. Strategy is just… easy for me and it is a game of empires. I just think about how I would fight Frieza if we were on equal terms. Besides, if a single game usually takes 10 years, I'd say you still have plenty of time to catch up. " Vegeta smirked as they entered the first training sub level of the huge Coliseum, and Shani punched him in the arm as she sauntered past, where they joined the rest of their class, in the Training room. She knew she couldn't hurt him, but it didn't stop her from trying.

" Ah… " Said the little old man in the loose fitting gi, as he floated into the small training room in the Coliseum, in the lotus position. " I see Vegeta and Shannelle have decided to come to class on time for once… so; I think we ought to get started. " 

" Where were you guys at supper? Elda said she's going to send your supper to your rooms after class. She's afraid you two are going to starve to death the way you never want to come to the meals around here. " Gunnar chuckled. " What is it that you two do all day when you're not eating or in class with the rest of us? "

" Mostly we're looking for a way off of this rock… " Shani shrugged quietly. Then she noticed Kor looking at the wall mounted weapons rack along the north wall. " Kor! Don't touch that!! "

It was impossible to tell if her warning scared him or if he just stumbled a bit on one of the thick floor mats, but Kor put one massive hand out in front of him and as it met the wooden display, it snapped beneath his weight and he and twenty swords tumbled to the ground in a heap. Shani was the first one to him, and used her magic to return the swords and the display to the wall where they belonged, even repairing the break in the rack. But… looking at her friend again, she noticed one sword had stayed… it had gone through his huge chest, and he was unconscious. Vegeta felt rather than saw her try to summon more of the strange power that was her magic, as Shani tried desperately to remember the words that would save his life… but they wouldn't come to her, and soon the energy was gone. " Please don't die… please… I'm so sorry Kor. I didn't mean to yell at you. " Tears slipped silently down her face as the other kids looked on with confusion and worry.

Their teacher, Master Gouken placed a hand gently on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. The seemingly frail old man was actually standing on the floor for the first time since they had met him, and he easily pulled the broadsword from the gaping wound. As he did, the ancient warrior closed his eyes and put a gentle hand on the chest of his young pupil. His hand was enveloped in a soft blue energy that radiated life and healing. The Ki Vegeta felt in the old man at this moment was enough to destroy an entire planet… but it was all directed at saving a single life. He had heard of this power, the ability to heal with the very same life energy most often used to hurt and destroy, but he had never seen it… and for an instant, he was awed by it. It was as if all the Ki in the room was responding to the old man's healing touch, since, as the wound began to close, and Kor began to breathe, the energy he commanded was greater than ever. 

Without a word, the old man easily picked up his huge sleeping student and took him into the silent chamber next door, where he could rest. Shani pounced instantly, hugging the ancient warrior as he reappeared in the room, and he grinned down at her. " Thank you for fixing my class room, Shannelle. "

Shani blushed and let go of him, giggling shyly. " Thank you for saving him. I shouldn't have yelled at him… but he's always doing that… I just knew he would get hurt when he knocked it down. "

" You mean you thought he might… I understand. "

" No, I mean I knew. I _saw_ it happen as soon as he looked over there. He's always kind of clumsy. I knew better than to yell at him. I'm sorry. "

" It wasn't your fault, princess, and I am proud of you for your quick actions. I felt you try to use your magic to help him. It would've been interesting to see, it was a shame that the spell couldn't work by your desire to help him alone. But, it does give us a chance to learn the healing power of our Ki. "

" How did you do that? " All the kids seemed to ask at once, as their teacher returned to the lotus position and began to levitate once more.

" Well, in class have we not decided that Ki is balanced and equal in all ways? "

" Yes. " Came the class response, leaving Vegeta to roll his eyes and shrug at the sheep he was forced to associate with. 

" Then if one can use one's Ki to fly, one can use it to anchor to the ground. If you can use it to boost your speed and reactions, you can use it to slow things as well. But, most important of all, if you can attack with it, you can heal with it too. It is possible to heal any wound with Ki, simply because it is the very essence of life, and if one has great enough will and control over their Ki, it is possible to heal diseases and even a broken spirit through its gentleness, that is the essence of true power. Being able to hold in your hands the life of a friend or an enemy, that is real power. The attack power of Ki does not constitute negative Ki. It is when one person wills another to die that the direct opposite of healing Ki is found. This power is the darkest of evil. Its power is seductive and always destroys those who command it in the end. Attacking Ki's direct opposite is defending Ki. To defend or heal another person is the highest level of ki control that is possible. It takes remarkable control, and self-discipline to accomplish. This power lies within every creature and every soul that lives, but must be mastered over lifetimes and used wisely."

" So how is it done? "

" First, Gunnar, one must master the lesser abilities of your spiritual powers. Only one of you in this room is ready for the next step in controlling your Ki. "

" Yeah, Vegeta, right? " Grumbled Lynx, one of the weakest members in the class.

" No, Vegeta does have the best focus and control, but to master healing, requires the desire to help, rather than hurt. Shani is the closest of you to tapping into the power to heal. Perhaps in this class, we will be able to help Vegeta and Shani master their inner strengths because destruction and chaos are not the keys to power. True strength comes from your heart, and drives you to fight for life and freedom, rather than wealth or glory. Protecting ourselves or those we love are the only real reasons to fight. Training is for the day that we must prove ourselves worthy of the knowledge and strength we have gained… "

" Master Gouken… may I have a word with you? "

" Z-zarbon… I… of course. " Vegeta took one look at Frieza's henchman and shivered, instinctively knowing that they would never see the ancient warrior again. 

" Excellent. Class dismissed. " Zarbon purred, but his amber gaze ripped holes into the old man across the room. As the rest of the class bounded out into the night, to enjoy their early dismissal, Vegeta and Shani hung back a bit. Zarbon's dark glare shifted to them, and Vegeta shook his head glaring back, but Shani grabbed his arm and tried not to cry as she dragged him down the silent hall.

" Why?? Why is Zarbon going to hurt him? He's never hurt anyone! He just saved Kor's life in there! "

" Shani… don't cry. Frieza doesn't want any philosophies but his own instilled in his warriors. He's probably been warned before. " 

" So he's going to kill him? It's not right! I'll cry if I want to. Don't you have any emotions at all? Would it hurt you at all if me in there? " 

" Should it? " He snapped, he turned and walked away. Leaving her alone after saying that was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but he managed it somehow. And it would be the last he saw of her for three months. 

There is just no substitute for a little Vegeta attitude, is there? Yes, I am still working on this story!! I never really stopped, but I did have to take a bit of a break from it for a while, so here is the long awaited Chapter 11 of what I consider my best fan fic. Please Review… don't make me beg you, it's cruel.


	13. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Still don't own DBZ… but Shani, the Eternal Star and the Legionaries are mine.

Notes: Hehehe… Purge mission… oh the fun… 

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 12

" Daddy… " Bra ventured after a moment of intense silence, making everyone jump just a little as she pulled them all from their thoughts. 

" What? "

" If she was your friend, why were you mean to her when you knew you had to go so soon? "

Considering his words very carefully, Vegeta didn't answer immediately. " Princess, my entire life I had been told that caring was a weakness, something in others to take advantage of, and to be avoided at all cost. Some part of me believes it still… at least a little. I knew that Frieza had made an investment in me when he took me, and he had to know if there was going to be any profit in it if he continued to keep me. He gave me an easy mission for two reasons. One I was still only five; a mistake would still be possible, given my inexperience, and he didn't want to insult any of his older warriors by giving a top assignment to a brat that could still get hurt or killed… or worse, if I showed them up on my first outing… I never told her, but I was sorry I hurt her and I know she knew it. She understood me better than anyone else ever had or ever would, as close as friends as we were, there were things that we didn't talk about, and quite often that meant our feelings. "

" But why? Everybody has feelings, there's nothing wrong with it. " 

" At that school you didn't want to have feelings, Princess. Remember, I was there for no other reason than to learn how to control my powers and kill for Frieza. All the brats at that school were members of warrior races. Some of them were even more powerful than the Saiyans by birth. That wasn't a pleasant concept, because some of those races had even less compassion for others than I did. "

" Yeah right… " Yamcha snorted, taking another drink of his beer. " So what now? Vegeta, are you going to tell us how Frieza personally made you off every living thing on the planet you were being sent to? "

" Yamcha… come on, honey… you've had too much to drink. I-I'm sorry, everyone. " His wife said nervously. " I think I'd better take him home. "

" Shut up Taylor. " Yamcha snapped. " I wann'a hear this. "

" Makes no difference to me. " Vegeta smirked. " But shut up before I blast you. "

" He does have a point, though, Dad. " Trunks said slowly. " How much are you going to tell us about… well, you know, what it was like, destroying that world? "

" How much detail can you handle? "

" Well… " Trunks thought for a moment, glancing at his mother, her face was expressionless, as she looked back and forth between her mate and her children. " I kind a wann'a hear everything. Weren't you scared? "  
  


" Scared of what? With full knowledge of my power and my status as one of Frieza's favorites, no one was going to be stupid enough to try intercepting me. The natives of that planet were only slightly stronger than average for this pathetic world we're on now. I told you, he couldn't have made things much easier than that if he had wanted to. The only thing that didn't go my way was he told them to expect me. "

" Why, I mean, didn't they try to run away? "

" Frieza ordered one of his ships to stay in the area to kill refugees. This was standard procedure, and the natives knew their best chance was to try to hide. If I didn't kill them in the initial purge, they would be allowed to live… as slaves, for the new masters of the planet when it was finally sold. Not all worlds were this lucky, sometimes we were ordered to infiltrate and destroy all likely hiding places, but these creatures were weak in mind and body, and even as I arrived some already wanted to surrender. "

" I take it, that you didn't let them? "

" No. " 

" Why? " Yamcha growled.

" Shut up and I'll tell you, idiot. "

The pod landed with a jarring crash, then as the ships computers finished taking a few readings, the door opened with a hiss and Vegeta smirked as he stepped out. Wearing a scouter again for the first time in several months was taking a bit of getting used to, but he shrugged, pressing the button and getting an active reading. 

Frieza's troops did have this planet well scouted; the nearest settlement was only 12 clicks away… exactly where they had suggested it would be if he landed where they advised. Vegeta didn't head for it immediately though. He contacted the ship above, making report of his initial landing and assessment of the nearby threat. He was given clearance to proceed and he snorted, as if he would've waited if they had ordered him not to. Flying through the open sky, he noted its rich blue color and the way it contrasted with the almost golden hues of the ground below.

The natives were supposed to be white or gray skinned humanoids with long heavy tails four arms and no body hair. Vegeta frowned when this reminded him of the cook and her daughter at Frieza's school. Was this Elda's home planet? She really was an outstanding cook, and honestly cared about the different children who she cooked for each day. Even though there were several hundred, she knew each one by name and treated them all as equals. 

His first look at those he had been sent to kill made him conclude that these were not the same creatures. He was a little puzzled by his relief, but didn't have time to consider it further, as one of the leathery almost armored looking creatures fired a blast at him from some sort of a wrist mounted blaster. As the blast went up, an alarm was sounded, and these large creatures began to run, scattering in all directions.

Vegeta's tail lashed about in amused curiosity as he batted the blast aside and a cold smirk settled over his features. Even the young ones were twice his size and at least twice his weight, they knew that he was Frieza's chosen assassin, and refused to take him lightly. It took only seconds for the warriors to assemble and the females and their young to retreat and as he faced their warriors, he took another reading on the scouter and laughed. There were more than twenty assembled here, and more on the way, but they wouldn't arrive in time to save this city.

Vegeta's opening blast was more of a warning shot than a serious attack, as it leveled buildings and tore up the neatly bricked street for several blocks. Twin towers of smooth metal groaned as if in pain and shivered violently as another blast ripped through the city, finally they fell, bringing down all the lesser structures for miles with their impact and the devastating noise.

Terrified and leaderless, the city survivors threw themselves on the ground before him, and began to plead for mercy. Vegeta shrugged and pressed the button on his scouter, barking an order to notify the ship's captain that the city was asking to surrender. Moments later, the reply came back, but more soldiers had arrived to reinforce the city, and seeing the young Saiyan, wasted no words, condemning the city to death by attacking him.

He smirked, he didn't care one way of another, but the ground and the shattered buildings were littered with the bodies of the dead before the battle was over, while he hadn't received so much as a scratch. Moving quickly to another city, he used mostly ki attacks, wanting to test the limits of his power for the first time without the curious eyes of his trainers and Frieza's tech rats staring at him. Each blast was more powerful than the last, and he couldn't believe how simple it was to summon the ki forces that had raged inside of him since before he was born. 

Even under the watchful eye of Master Gouken, Vegeta had never felt so in control of his powers. This was fun and as he saw a group of warriors creeping up on his flank, he laughed quietly, lashing his tail for a moment, before turning to smirk at them. Realizing they had been spotted, the warriors attempted to retreat, and Vegeta gave them a head start, and then began stalking them, one at a time. Naturally gifted in stealth, and with keen senses, the hunt was more like play than necessity, but these instincts couldn't be taught, or learned, only practiced and honed. Realizing he might not get such a chance again for a while, Vegeta toyed with them for a while longer, only killing each one after engaging them in hand to hand fighting. Unfortunately for them, these creatures were not as powerful as those he had first encountered, and were crushed too easily.

Disappointment soon gave way to anger, and by the time he reached the Capital City, Vegeta was wishing he could just destroy the entire chunk of rock and be done. To be truthful, by dark that first night, he was already impressively close, but he still just wanted to be done here. The young prince watched emotionlessly as the conquered leader of this planet came forward and knelt before him, pledging allegiance to Frieza. Battered and bloody, the king and his soldiers fell to their knees as they realized he knew he could keep going and they could not. Vegeta growled at the formality of the mission he was given, once more calling in their surrender. The survivors waited, their eyes staring at him accusingly wondering if Frieza had killers this brutal who were this young, what did Frieza want with them? Afraid to try again to fight back, and too tired to run, they resigned themselves to their fate, but glared openly at their captor.

Vegeta rolled his eyes at their anger and looked again at the destruction he had created. At the very edge of his vision, there was a long, low building that was a different style than the rest of their architecture. He arched one eyebrow at them, flying up to get a better look. When he raised a hand as if to blast it, they paled considerably, and some even started to beg and cry uncontrollably. He had already blasted the building where they had tried to hide their females and young… what could such a structure be?

" Prince Vegeta? " The scouter addressed him suddenly, breaking his train of thought.

" What is it? You're interrupting something. "

" I am sorry, but I have just received orders direct from Frieza. "

" Proceed then. " Vegeta hissed.

" Of course. Lord Frieza requests that you accept their surrender. Capture their king and bring him to us. There is something on this planet that our Lord wants. I am downloading their updated language file to your scouter now. If he will not reveal to us the location of the Temple of the Eternal Star, you will need to secure another for questioning."

" What does it look like? "

" It is a stylized building with hundreds of archways and columns and there should be a center dome with a long, slender tower and made of pure white marble. Have you seen such a building? " 

" I see no tower, but there is a building that otherwise matches your description. My prisoners appear to be protecting the structure; do they know that Lord Frieza wants something from it? "

Silence followed, and Vegeta glanced at his prisoners, his expression one of amused cruelty. " Unfortunately yes, they are aware of his interest in the Eternal Star. Would you like assistance in investigating the temple? "

" No, but what of my prisoners? "

" Destroy them. " Vegeta wasted no words, blasting the huddled mass with a shrug and headed curiously for the large building that took up an entire block of the city.

It was bigger than it looked from the courtyard of the king's palace, and Vegeta couldn't help wondering what it was. It was immaculately well maintained, not a single blade of grass or flower bud was out of place as he landed in its garden, and the marble itself shimmered softly in the starlight. As he entered, there were no lights, but his eyes could see perfectly, reflections of light from the endless lines of columns and across the shinning floors created a startlingly beautiful scene in haunting shades of blue and silver. His ki senses were a little on edge, but there was nothing hostile about the temple itself he noted.

Finally he came to a massive white marble wall, and an open archway that led inside. The foyer was just as bright and beautiful as the covered walkway, and on each side, was another open room. He snorted no wonder they had tried to keep him from getting near it; there weren't any doors at all. They had surrendered the palace rather than give up this building… but why? There was nothing here. With a shrug, he continued his exploration, and he almost began to think he wasn't in control, each time he wondered where to go next, he felt a slight tug at the back of his mind and followed without question. Dismissing it as his imagination, Vegeta found himself in front of a stairway, at the top of which, was a balcony, covered by another covered walkway with these elegant columns, again illuminated solely by the stars, and reflections on the marble.

Vegeta touched the glossy marble railing and smirked. Frieza's palace was more intricate, but the beauty he saw here was incredible in its clean, sweeping lines and the clever way the builders used the natural light to set off the beauty of the stone and give color and texture to the otherwise snow white marble. This was what Shani had told him the ancient Elven buildings often looked like. 

Thinking of her had him growling at feeling guilt for the things that he had said to her. But he shrugged, realizing that they would be expecting him to either return soon, or report, he started up the stairs. As if reading his thoughts, the communications officer on the ship addressed him sharply through a haze of static. Vegeta smirked, glad that the scouter didn't seem to like the confines of the elegant building. There was an oddly peaceful feeling in the air night, in the star filled sky that reflected in the shadowy interior of the white marble and made him reluctant to find what he was looking for, since he didn't want to leave. That was strange enough, but there was nothing here, not a single bench or other person. 

As he reached the top of the stairs, he found himself in front of the large domed part of the temple. Like the rest, it was elegant, and grand in scale, lined with columns and archways, but twin statues in white marble adorned the only doorway. Although they were five times life sized, the statues were of a woman, she looked disturbingly like Shani, although the woman wore nothing but a bikini with a mantle of silk over her shoulders, and a skirt formed by two sheer silk scarves. Around their necks, there were large pendants, carved in the shape of a stylized sun or perhaps a star. Her expression was regal and brave, her beautiful face set in lines of concentration, and in the hand of each statue was a glowing purple crystal.

As he approached the statues, he was surprised to see that the stones were glittering diamonds, each one, was the size of his fist. He was no expert, but they were beautiful, and obviously valuable… who would leave such a treasure in the open, unguarded? Vegeta shrugged, though, this whole mission seemed pointless to him, kill the prisoners, including the king, over a temple he couldn't find anything in?? It was hard to say what Frieza thought he was doing here, but it just seemed stupid at the moment.

Still, he was feeling that mysterious pull again, directing him inside the round room. So he moved past the statues and found himself in another foyer, this time only one room connected to it. This room was large, elegant and a library. Not only was it filled with several sorts of books and scrolls and maps, but the floor, the walls and ceiling were richly tiled into a series of scenes and stories depicting battles and the woman in the statue casting spells of incredible power. It was so different from the rest of the temple he could only stare at it. Vegeta blinked in surprise, it was a beautiful room, but as he looked around he was still wondering what he was looking for.

Directly in the center of the room was a delicate white marble pedestal, and on it, was a softly glowing shaft of light, coming in from the ceiling as it reached the pedestal, the light took on a purple hue, until it was the same depth and brilliance as amethyst… or the diamonds in the hands of the statues outside. Arching one jet-black eyebrow at the peculiar light, he went closer. As he did, he saw something in the beam. If it was another trick of the light, it was another very clever one. 

He was standing in front of the pedestal, looking into a diamond of unbelievable radiance and quality. It was huge as well. The gem was floating 15 feet off of the ground, turning slowly, and causing magnificent flecks of color and light to dance through its perfectly crafted facets. A diamond over a foot in diameter, richly faceted in the brilliant cut, and almost glowing with its own bottomless purple brilliance… Vegeta couldn't believe what he was seeing, it was too beautiful to be real but if it was real could this be what Frieza was looking for?

Determined to find out, Vegeta flew up to grab it, but before he could, there was a sound at his back. With a low snarl, he turned around to see a half dozen of Frieza's regulars talking and laughing about nothing as they entered the chamber. At their irreverent entrance, the light and the brilliant diamond disappeared.

" Hey, Prince Vegeta, you ok in here? "

" Of course I am you idiot, there is nothing in here but your stupidity to bother me. "

" Man, " One of the others chuckled to the first in a low voice. " The little Saiyan sure has attitude, doesn't he? "

" I said NO backup! " Vegeta snapped, interrupting their conversation with a ki blast at their feet. " What in the hell are you doing in here? " 

" Uh, sorry, Prince Vegeta, but when we lost contact with you, Frieza ordered us sent in to make sure no one… err bothered you. " 

Since these idiots didn't seem to have noticed the light as they had entered, Vegeta said nothing as he lead them back outside. Irritated that he would have to report finding nothing inside, he paused at the statues and gasped. The beautiful sculptures were barely recognizable one was missing its head, the other was smashed to pieces, all that remained were the legs and on the ground before her lay the shattered remains of the rest… indeed, turning back to face the room he had just been in, most of the decorative murals and tiles were gone, the books and scrolls lay in rotting piles and the ceiling where the light once came through a round hole, was now a gaping hole extending from the dome's center, to the topmost part of the wall, where a huge crack continued until it disappeared into the floor. 

Startled and confused, Vegeta allowed them to escort him through the ruins of the temple. Toppled columns and chipped floors dimmed the unearthly glow of the well-designed lighting system, but it didn't diminish its incredible beauty. He shivered walking through the overgrown gardens and wondered how much of what he had seen was real. 

It didn't take long in his pod, and he was back at school, but rather than return him to classes, Frieza summoned him directly. Vegeta growled, changing out of his mission gear and prepared to see the tyrant. Napa joined him at his chambers unexpectedly. " I am glad you are back, my prince. "

" Where were you? "

" Lord Frieza sent us on assignment, I am sorry if no one told you. I was promised you would be notified… "

" Not that you idiot! " Vegeta snapped impatiently. " During my training that day? "

" Oh, that… uh, I was summoned to Frieza's throne room… and… "

" Never mind… I figured that would happen. So Zarbon tells me there is another Saiyan serving Lord Frieza? "

" Uh, yes, My Prince, his name is Radditz. And he seems to have a lot of potential. He's only a third class, and he is undisciplined, but he could be useful. "

" For us, or for Frieza? " Vegeta growled quietly, as they approached to door to Frieza's chambers. 

Well, I can't wait till I get to tell you more about the Eternal Star, the Temple and what the heck happened there, but first I wanna see what you guys think about all the random chaos that happened in this chapter!!!!!!!!!! This means PLEASE, please review!!!! This is my favorite story, and I'd kinda like to know whos' reading it besides the few wonderful people who read EVERYTHING I've written and tell me how much they like my hard work!! This particular chapter was an easy one, but if I don't get some more reviews, I'm afraid my ideas will slump again!!! 

Speaking of those kind souls, thank you!!! I need the support much more than I can ever tell you!!! Sorry there weren't more fight scenes in here!! But that wasn't the real point of this chapter. We know from the Bardock Special and Frieza's interest in him that Vegeta was a fierce warrior and these missions were probably too easy for him, he got VERY careless on earth if you've seen the Saiyan Saga, you'll probably agree. Anywho, give me reviews, please???? 


	14. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 13

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Hmmm… DBZ and its characters are not mine. But Shani, the Eternal Star, the Legion and the Scepter of Night are.

Notes: Well… still can't tell ya what happened in the temple yet… it'd wreck the surprise… but here's some more info on the reason he was sent there…

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 13

The door to Frieza's chambers slid open silently, and Zarbon greeted them with an amused little smirk. " Well done, Prince Vegeta, the mission to Pretoria 3 was an impressive little outing. Please, go right in, Frieza is expecting you. Napa, may I have a word with you? "

Napa gave the Saurian a suspicious look, but nodded, and allowed the Prince to proceed into Frieza's study. Vegeta too was curious as to what Zarbon might have to say to his bodyguard, but knew better than to keep Frieza waiting. 

The room he found himself in was outfitted with several shelves of books and scrolls, written in scripts of everything from the Empire's Common, to Saiyan, to gibberish and even hieroglyphic pictograms. In a corner, was a master communications console, capable of broadcasting and receiving transmissions from the deepest space, and several holographic display and recorder devices. It seemed Frieza did spend a good deal of his time here… but then again, with this many heirs and heiresses imprisoned here, he was probably the only one he felt he could trust to baby-sit his investment.

Frieza was in his familiar floating throne, absorbed in reading an ancient scroll spread out before him. Vegeta waited emotionlessly for the disgusting reptilian thing to address him. Finally, after an annoyingly long wait, Vegeta felt the garnet eyes of the tiny emperor upon him. He almost shivered, but suppressed it, he hated to admit it, but the power emanating from the bastard was unfathomable. " Hello, Prince Vegeta. I trust you are as pleased as I am about your rapid conquest of Pretoria 3? "

" Yes, Lord Frieza. " Vegeta nodded, but there was no emotion at all in the words.

Frieza almost frowned, but smirked instead. " Well, if you are still bored, perhaps you might be interested in accompanying me on a bit of a training exercise? "

Vegeta arched one eyebrow and waited for Frieza to explain. He didn't have to wait long. " Well, I need to pay a visit to a few friends of mine, over in the Henara star quadrant, and this would be a good opportunity for you to practice your fighting skills, since it looks as if we are going to go to war with them. Napa and Radditz will be coming along, of course, this time. But, I think this might be a little too dangerous for Shani to come, I am told the two of you are getting to be good friends. "

" That is a bit of an overstatement. " Vegeta shrugged, his expression remained disinterested, even though he knew he missed her.

" Good, " Frieza purred, smiling like a shark circling prey. " Then you won't be missing anything while we are gone? "

" Of course not, Lord Frieza. " Vegeta shrugged, smirking slightly.

" I trust that you have had plenty of time to acquaint yourself to your classmates? "

" Yes, Lord Frieza. "

" Excellent, how do you like it here, so far? "

" I suppose it's alright. " Vegeta lied, trying desperately to keep the venom out of his voice. " I like the physical training and combat classes. "

Frieza frowned a bit at the unspoken question in those words. Then he shrugged, deciding if Vegeta knew the teacher had been killed then he could be honest about their timing in taking him on his next mission. They were going to have to stop underestimating the intelligence of this brat. " Of course, while we are away, the school will receive a few new instructors in that department. When we get back, there will be a few classes more suited to your ability level; they weren't nearly challenging enough for you. I wanted to ask you if there are any of your classmates at school that you think would be able to form a team with you, if they spent a little extra time in the coliseum training while you are assisting me? " 

" No, I don't think so. Gunnar is the second strongest, and he is already Captain Ginyue's favorite. " 

" Zarbon said the same thing… And he suggested that we do something that has never been done before. You will be a team on your own. "

" What? "

" All that is really important are the points that the team earns together during their schooling. You have already demonstrated that you are capable of these missions on your own. If you can accomplish these missions alone, I see no reason to include other team members. "

" And if Napa has to step in, what then? "

" Their part in these missions will not be scored. Only your performance will be evaluated. I have spoken at length with Zarbon, and Captain Ginyue. Both of them agree, we need to see how you function as a fighter and a leader, Napa and Radditz will not be needed every time, but when they are, they will be there. Do you agree to our little experiment? "

" Yes. " Vegeta just shrugged, not figuring he had much choice.

" So, after your mission, did you have any questions for me? I wanted to speak to you directly about the Temple… " 

" What did you send me there for? Capturing all those prisoners seems pointless now. "

" Come with me, Prince Vegeta, I want to show you something. " Frieza smirked coldly, and led him to one of the holographic display units. Tapping out a few commands, the image of a library appeared in the beams of light. As it did, the image zeroed in on one shelf of books. One of the tomes was removed from the shelves and opened. The text was unintelligible to Vegeta, but the picture was plainly of the Temple where he had gone. " This book, in fact, that whole library is part of my personal collection, detailing the legendary artifacts that can in one way or another, grant their possessor eternal life. This particular text, tells of the Eternal Star. Said to be a fallen star from the night sky, the diamond may be the most valuable treasure in the entire universe. Its history is a long one, its past recorded in the tales and legends of countless civilizations through out the ages, and all over space and time. It's not known where it originally came from, or where it is now, but there are temples like this one all over space. "

" So what is it, what does it do? " 

" To understand that, you have to let me tell you more about it, little prince. " Vegeta nodded reluctantly, hating Frieza's pet name for him, but he said nothing, allowing Frieza to continue. " Thousands, or perhaps millions of years ago, in a colossal battle, a band of great warriors dedicated to Destruction, Chaos and War, met their end in a battle against the forces of light.The leader of each side was mortally wounded. The first, took the souls of his warriors, and bound them to his own, and to his favorite weapon. Promising to rise again from the mist of time in rebirth, the Dark Templars, all but one died with their leader. Their souls were brought into the Scepter of Night as the force that thought they had won, could only watch in horror. The leader of their opposition was also dying. Knowing that they had no way to heal her wounds, and that there would be no one to thwart the Templars upon their promised return if she died, she gave her spirit to the jewel that had led them to the Scepter of Night. " The image in the hologram changed to show the enormous diamond that he had seen in the Temple, and the woman from the statue. She was beautiful, and very exotic looking with her long white hair, light skin and deep purple eyes. She wore the same clothing as in the statue, and she was unmistakably Elven. Small, graceful, and smoothly sensuous, she wasn't colored like Shani, but the ethereal beauty and regal poise was the same, and so were her pointed ears, and the large, kind eyes. Vegeta allowed himself to be interested, especially as the image in the hologram again showed the diamond, and she was inside of it, asleep. " According to legend, the Eternal Star and the sorceress now trapped inside of it sleep, awaiting the return of the Dark Templars. But the story doesn't stop there. Through the rest of their lives, those who fought beside her that day, kept the Star, guarding it and protecting it from those who would try to claim it. As they did, they traveled the universe, in search of the Scepter of Night, which was taken from the battlefield and vanished seemingly without a trace, taking the last of the Templars with it. The descendants of these Warriors still exist. They are called The Legionaries of the Eternal Star… or just the Legion. These warriors spent the last few thousand years fighting my ancestors. Finally my father killed their champion and the Legionaries were forced to retreat. Without a Guardian, the Eternal Star can be claimed by whoever is strong and clever enough to take it. Whoever possesses the Star will be immortal, invincible. "

Vegeta gave him a dubious look. " There's a rock that can make you invincible? "

" A diamond the size of this one is no mere chunk of rock. " Frieza chuckled, " But, yes, it can. "

" If the Legionaries lost their champion, and they had the Star, how do you know it'll make you invincible? "

" My father showed his ruthlessness in the battle, attacking those who could not defend themselves. To save them, The Legion Champion gave his immortality to their planet, and took the blast head on, in case it got through. When he died, the aura of invincibility vanished, but the Star, the rest of the Legionaries and the pathetic commoners he died to save, also disappeared, presumably to keep my father from claiming the star. My belief is that the Star… the sorceress in it, awakened at the danger, and realizing her warriors were too injured to continue, retreated. "

" Why would the your father do something so dishonorable? "

" Perhaps honor isn't all it's cracked up to be, but you will realize this for yourself eventually, Prince Vegeta. Ruling much of the known universe is not an easy task. I do not think it can be done… with ones honor in tact. Besides, it is victory that history remembers, the means, however inglorious, are best forgotten. " Frieza chuckled lightly.

Vegeta scowled at the tyrant as he turned away from the display unit, and pulled a map from one of the shelves in his study. Vegeta followed Frieza to a large table in the center of the room and arched one eyebrow, as the map was unfolded from its case. It was large, made of leather, and showed the universe as if each star quadrant were a separate country. Still, out in the deep space between stars, were pictures of huge, impossible creatures. Among them were Dragons, giant fish, and several types of what looked like giant aquatic dragons. There were Energy Dolphins, and even a picture of an energy storm. And, in the center of the map, was a picture of a white fortress, with high towers and a purple diamond hovering above it. " This is the Fortress of The White Legion. Unfortunately, it is no longer located here. But it is the resting place of the Star… wherever it is. Long ago, the Temples and the Fortress were connected by magical means, and when these planets asked the Legion for help, at the Temples, the Fortress would send them there. Their last champion was their greatest warrior, he is dead and they are frightened… They know it is only a matter of time before they fall. "

" It seems to me that you ought to be more interested in the Scepter of Night. " Vegeta sighed. " I can't believe an object like the Eternal Star could be used for conquest. "

Frieza laughed outright, puzzling Vegeta. Then garnet met obsidian and the young prince had to try not to shiver again. " I am glad to see you are so intelligent. Would you like to see the Scepter of Night? "

Vegeta jerked as if struck. Frieza had the Scepter of Night already? " What? "

" I found it ages ago. It doesn't bestow immortality, but rebirth, reincarnation. He who wields it is invincible, I of course, have no need of weapons, but I still keep it. "

" But if the two with these things are meant to fight, how can they hurt each other? "

" You certainly are full of questions today, little prince. " Frieza said off handedly. Vegeta scowled at him, too much curiosity was unbecoming, but somehow he felt he _had_ to know. " But, your curiosity amuses me… The Star and the Scepter are meant to fight each other, their most powerful champions using only their skill and strength; no one can interfere, because these two can't be hurt by anything but each other. They are chosen by destiny to represent the light and dark in everything in the battle for ultimate control. Or so the legends say… I have many of these artifacts, these treasures. I possess the Dragon's Egg Emerald, which at the end of time is supposed to hatch a dragon that will begin the cycle again. The Hand of Fate, the touch of which is supposed to bring death to the gods themselves. Most have no real power, I was extremely disappointed when I finally located the Horn of the White Unicorn and found that it can't heal all wounds instantly. Dragons' blood isn't really poisonous if you were more powerful than the Dragon it came from. But… there is something about the Legends of the Star and the Scepter…" Frieza paused for a moment, then chuckled. " This display unit stores and catalogs all information about the star, its powers and its history. I want you to study it, including the scouting reports we have received from a few planets beyond the territory line. I will be too busy to continue searching myself, for a while. I will make it worth your while to find it, Prince Vegeta. I will have the unit taken to your quarters later this afternoon. But it will have to wait until we return from this little training exercise, and I want you to continue to keep paying attention to your class work. Do you understand? " 

" Yes, Lord Frieza. When are we departing? "

" You have two hours before you are to report to my ship. You are dismissed. "

" Thank you, sire. " It burned Vegeta deeply to have to say that, but he knew he had no choice. Frieza seemed awfully obsessed with his collections. What was he afraid of that even with a power level of supposedly one million, he hid behind objects? He was obsessed with immortality, but why? No creature, no planet, no empire was meant to last forever. That was why it was so important to train hard and fight often, no one was meant to know how long he would live. He packed his things feeling numb inside. He would miss Shani, but was determined not to go see her while Frieza would be paying attention. So he had to keep studying, be his own team in preparation for the war games, find the Eternal Star and keep training? He snorted, complaining about it was beneath him, but he certainly didn't like it. Frieza would pay for this. He would pay dearly, and no matter how many treasures he collected, Frieza couldn't hide from the Super Saiyan forever. Well, Vegeta told himself, he wasn't one yet… but it was inevitable, it had to be.

Hehehehe… Setting up a quest that'll take Veggie head a long time to complete, and an eventual Sequel… but the sequel won't happen until after GT…

Well, tell me what ya think. I know this chapter was pretty dull, but that's why I tried to keep it short.

Love ya,

Lady Valtaya 


	15. Shadows of the Past: Chapter 14

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. However The Eternal Star is mine… * muahahahahaha (evil laughter)* It's all mine!! Kidding, but I wish!!

Notes: Vegeta and his pointy hair* are hatching a plot to keep himself from dying of boredom…Here it is… the stuff that happened in the Bardock special!! You didn't think I'd forget that did you?? Anyway, Bra interrupts the story again and Yamcha still won't pass out like a good boy…* lol *… he's still drunk and mouthy… has been since the Prologue, actually…

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 14

Vegeta was furious… this so called training exercise was nothing more than combat drills!! All he had been doing for the last MONTH was an endless succession of drills. He still hadn't even met Radditz yet. That made him more suspicious than anything. What was Frieza hiding? What was it about Radditz's presence that made the prince growl every time Napa brought him up in conversation? There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

Frieza hadn't even made him eat dinner with him in two weeks. True, the last time had gone rather poorly… but he was getting tired of not knowing what was going on. It wasn't his fault that he was bored and Frieza was sooooooooo busy… Vegeta snorted and barked a command at Napa to release some more Saibamen. But if this was how Frieza wanted to play he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

Waiting for the stupid green monsters to attack, Vegeta began to formulate an idea. Not a very wise one… but he was bored enough to kill the next thing that pissed him off. And that didn't just include these pathetic excuses for training partners, either. He allowed himself to be surrounded. Feeling rather than seeing their advance, he dodged without striking back. Vegeta stood and relaxed for a moment, and as the Saibamen thought they had him… Vegeta summoned his ki into a force field and smirked as the stupid creatures hit it, sizzled and were thrown into the surrounding walls. With hardly a second thought, he raised one finger, and blasted the remains of his attackers. He could almost hear the oooh and ahs of the tech rats in the next room.

But, the last thing he was in the mood for was more of their curious stares. They were truly irritating, always wanting to test things on him… just because he was the strongest Saiyan ever born. He was still young, but he wasn't stupid, how many times did they think they needed to take samples of his DNA, blood, even his hair and Kami only knew what else… by now there had to be at least a dozen clones of him running around… For some reason he found that thought a little amusing, but didn't dwell on it.

" Open this door right now! " He snapped at the heavy blast door, and after a moment it slid open. Not surprisingly, Napa was waiting in there with the button pushing techs. His bodyguard handed him his cape and armor but as he put them on, Vegeta's thoughts were already on his plan. He was bored… bored enough to try behaving like an impatient 5-year-old. " The time will soon be here when we won't be taking any more orders from Frieza. "

Vegeta could almost hear the glee in the ecstatic features of his huge bodyguard as they made their way down the corridor. " Do you really think so? "

" I know so. "

" Really, that's great… but Uh, where are we going? " 

" I'm going to go talk to Frieza. "

" But he hasn't summoned you yet. "

" I know.Napa, return to my quarters and get my gear ready. "

" Uh… Yes, my Prince. "

Never one to make a dull entrance, Vegeta barged into the antechamber of Frieza's meeting room and noticed that he could just make out a conversation between the tyrant and his two favorite henchmen. Something about a serious threat that had to be observed closely or eliminated. He was also almost positive that he had heard Zarbon say his name at least once. He smirked, knowing somehow that they actually were talking about him. He wouldn't be able to get away with this in a few years, but for now, no matter what he heard, Frieza didn't consider him a threat, even if Zarbon did. He let himself in, and wasn't disappointed when Zarbon turned toward him angrily demanding to know why he had intruded.

" I'm bored. I want another assignment. No more drills, they're a waste of my time. "

" What… you little. "

" The boy doesn't mean any harm Zarbon. He just hasn't learned to control his passion yet. Give him an assignment Zarbon. Make it the hardest one you've got. "

" What? "

" Thank you Sire. "

" No need to thank me Vegeta, you certainly are earning your keep around here. You may want to mind your manners a little better though. Oh yes, and do come back alive. "

" I will sire. " Vegeta almost laughed as he walked out. That had gone better than he had thought it would. On his way back to his chambers, he passed the Mission Command office, and walked in. The man sitting behind the computer terminal had to stand up to see him.Seeing him as a just a little boy, the Mission Control Specialist just chuckled, but Vegeta darkened his expression and the man looked away nervously. " Uh, sorry kid, this area's for Purge specialists and officers only. " 

" Prince Vegeta reporting for assignment. "

The orange skinned alien tried again to meet his gaze, but finally just checked his computer. " Uh… Prince Vegeta, huh? Well, Sir, you are scheduled for drills for the next 3 weeks, in the training room. "

" Not any more. I just spoke with Lord Frieza. I am to be given the hardest assignment you have. "

" What?? "He stammered, looking at the screen. " I'll have to confirm this with Zarbon. "

" Go right ahead. "

After a ten-minute wait, and then a lot of one-sided yelling, the Mission Control Specialist yelped and closed the connection with Frieza's second in command. He looked at Vegeta as if stunned. " Uh, When is it that you wished to leave, Prince Vegeta? "

" Now. "

" What?? Err… ok I can have your pod prepped and ready in thirty minutes from Bay 4… " 

" Fifteen. "

" What?? Twenty-five would be pushing… Twenty? "

Vegeta pretended to consider it. He nodded slowly and watched with no small degree of amusement as he gave him a quick salute and began typing at his terminal. As He turned to leave, he heard the man turn to his coordinator at the next terminal. " Do you believe that? It's only his second time out and he WANTS to go to Calderas?? And he's going alone? " 

" I thought we were sending Dodoria down to Calderas later on this week? "

" Not that it matters, no kid is gonn'a be strong enough to take this job. It's been on the list almost as long as Conassa was… I mean really, his first outing was impressive, but this job' taken some great fighters already! " 

" Well, you know, the Conassa mission was finally completed by a bunch of Saiyans. Low-level Saiyans, and Vegeta is their prince. Don't put Calderas back on the available list just yet. "

" You don't actually think that arrogant little brat can survive it do you?? "

" I… I've just heard some weird rumors about that kid… I don't know if I'd bet money on Calderas… but I do know no ordinary kid could've stared you down. Besides, Lord Frieza put him on this job; it's none of our business anyway. "

" Daddy… " Bra whispered. " Did you really want to destroy that world? "

The Saiyan Prince rolled his eyes. " I was five and dying of boredom. So yes. It seemed like a good idea at the time. "

" But… But what about all the people who lived there? You once wanted to destroy the earth too. You've lived here for almost 20 years… you wouldn't still hurt Earth, would you? "

" I have no interest in destroying this miserable little mud ball… for now. "

" Vegeta! "

" What woman? She asked! "

" And of course you just had to go and hurt her feelings by saying for now! "

" It's ok mom. " Bra said softly. " I… should've known better than to ask him like that. I was just scared that he still didn't think of earth as home yet. "

" My home was destroyed when I was five, Bra, nothing can change that, and more than anything… it taught me that nothing is permanent. Empires, galaxies, even planets, they all die. I will continue to defend this worthless chunk of rock because this is where my family wants to reside. But IF something happens to it, I will not mourn its loss. Do you understand that? "

Bra studied the guarded expression on her father's face for a long moment, especially his eyes, but as only cold indifference showed there, she sighed and looked away. " No… But I think I can accept it. "

He seemed to like that, his eyes warmed considerably, and he almost smiled, but covered it up with a smirk instead. Trunks, Bra, Bulma and Goten all chuckled a little at the near lapse in his perpetual arrogance, leaving everyone else to wonder what they had missed.

" Uh, Vegeta… " 18 ventured quietly. " Since your daughter was kind enough to interrupt for me… what is this Eternal Star thing? "

" A diamond thought to have been magical. " 

" When you say thought to have been… does that mean you found it? "

" Yes. I always get what I want. "

" So, where is it now? You don't wear it too, do you? I never thought you were the jewelry type. "

" Your opinion of me doesn't concern me in the least. I do have the Star, and it isn't magical, but it is too big to wear. It is about the same size as the old pervert's TV in there. It's a little over a foot in diameter and weighs 15 pounds. "

" Diamonds are measured in Carats. " 18 said doubtfully.

" Not this one. "

" Yeah right, didn't you also say it's purple? "

" I would've liked it better blue, but yes. It doesn't have any impurities that give it color, but it has a 50-carat diamond inclusion near its center that creates the illusion of color. The light… "

" Inclusion? " Bulma interrupted wide-eyed.

" Yes woman, a diamond within a diamond. "

" Yes, I know what an inclusion is! I've just never heard of one of that size. "

" When was the last time you heard of a diamond measured in pounds? BEFORE tonight! " 

" Wow… " Gohan thought for a moment looking at Vegeta with some surprise. " If the inclusion was 50 carats, and it's almost in the center of that diamond… imagine how big the diamond the Eternal Star was cut from must have been! Inclusions are extremely rare, I've never actually seen a stone that has one, and for it to be such a big one… wow, no wonder it was thought to be magical. With so many surfaces within the diamond for the light to bounce around on, I'll bet it looks like it's glowing. "

" Always. " Vegeta nodded thoughtfully.

" So why is it called the Eternal Star?

" If there is any light at all, even a single candle makes it shimmer, it almost looks like it burns in the dark. It can blind you during the day… but it's most beautiful at night. It is called the Eternal Star for a lot of reasons. But the main reason is that it was created to fight evil. The symbol of evil is the night, the darkness. What lights the darkness was believed to be symbolic of good. " 

" But wouldn't that be the Sun? "

" The Sun _is_ a star. Not all cultures call their world's light source a sun. But every culture I have seen, destroyed or read about has a word for the stars. "

" I think you ought to show us this Eternal Star. I just don't think it's real. "

" Yamcha, you better shut up. " Bulma growled, but Vegeta didn't even look at him.

" I can show you later, I don't carry the damn thing in my pocket. "

" What did I tell you… he's making it up. "

" No, he's not. Yamcha, it's real, I've seen it. " Bulma snapped.

" When? "

" Years ago, in my dreams, and I asked him what it was and he showed it to me. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, you just forgot to tell me it had an inclusion. "

" You didn't ask about its color, and I didn't think to mention it. " 

" Is it prettier than the Dragon Tear? "

" They are both beautiful, Bra, " Bulma said, " But Vegeta, if Frieza wanted it, why do you have it? "

" I will be answering all of these idiotic questions later, including that one, after all, it took me 18 years to find the damn thing. "

" Really, he made you look for it for that long? "

" So what was so special about planet Calderas? " Trunks asked, abruptly changing the subject.

" They had attempted a rebellion and Frieza wanted it put down. Its inhabitants were clever, but not powerful enough to warrant a full-scale invasion. Besides, Frieza had the war with the Henara Star Quadrant to worry about. They were once his allies, so their tech and soldiers were about equal in strength. Frieza just had more soldiers and all the purge teams to call on. But Henara had been the source of his best strategists and advisors with the exception of himself and Zarbon, so he didn't want to take them too lightly. His father and brother would be furious if he allowed himself to loose even a little skirmish in the coming war. It was Frieza's very first actual war as the head of his own empire. So he wanted everything to be perfect. Because of that, he had been keeping about half of the best purge teams on available status, this included me, I found out later, but I couldn't help being bored. It was while I was on Calderas that I found out planet Vegeta had been destroyed. "

Hahahaha… I'm sooooooooooo evil. Poor Vegeta… So, did Frieza destroy Planet Vegeta when he took Vegeta? Or was it destroyed as part of his preparations for war? With Napa and Vegeta gone, no one else on the planet had the authority to enter the King's chambers without invitation to find out that they had been empty since Vegeta was taken. Sort of a combination of what happened in the Bardock special and in the flashbacks we got to see from the Namek saga. Radditz knows… but is he smart enough to keep this knowledge from Vegeta? It'll get him killed if he can't, one way or another. 

* Sorry about the thing with Vegeta and his pointy hair… I just really thought that was adorable when Shani said that… trying to get Vegeta to lighten up… lol 


	16. Chapter 15

Shadows of the Past: Chapter15

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Z-characters. Shani and Blaze the Star and Scepter and the Dragon Tear Necklace are mine though.

Notes: Yeah!!! The obnoxious drunk actually gets KO'ed (thanks Piccolo), and more endless questions to annoy Veggie. 

Shadows of the Past: Chapter15

" What? " Trunks exclaimed, " I would've thought they would've waited to tell you that he destroyed it! "

" They told me that the planet was destroyed by a meteor. I knew he lied, but I let him and Napa and Radditz think I believed what they had told me. I knew that if I tried to believe that lie, I could pretend that it didn't matter, since it couldn't be changed. On Namek Dodoria was the first to admit that Frieza had lied about the asteroid. It was as good of an excuse to kill that bastard as I wanted. "

" Yeah, kill him that'll solve the problem. " Yamcha grunted, sarcasm dripping from the words contemptuously. 

Piccolo looked emotionlessly at the scarred warrior that he had now considered his friend, and snorted in disdain. " Shut up Yamcha. " Had Yamcha not been drunk, he would've been able to deflect Piccolo's minor Ki attack, but in his present state, he never saw it coming, and was knocked soundly unconscious.

" What happened? Who did that? " Yamcha's wife asked worriedly, " It won't hurt him permanently, will it? " 

" No, but it will shut him up for a while. "

" Thank you for not hurting him, I was just wondering when you were going to continue with the story, Vegeta. I guess I never really believed that you were an Alien until now. " 

Vegeta snorted coldly. " The big green bean over there's an Alien too, incase you missed it somehow under the turban and cape. "

" Yeah, the green skin did sort of give him away though. But what happened to your tail? " Taylor asked innocently.

" Yajurobi cut it off, but that isn't part of the story Taylor. That happened on Earth before we went to Namek. " Bulma said trying not to say too much about it. 

" Oh… I see, well, anyway… uh, where'd he go? "

Vegeta wasn't sitting within the circle anymore; he was standing under a tree, watching the night sky. Bra came over to stand next to him, and tilted her head curiously. " What'cha doin', Daddy? "

" Waiting for the morons to shut up. "

" Oh, what'cha lookin' at? "

" That bright star up there, the one you call Cirrus, see it? "

" Yeah, why are we looking at it? "

" That is the sun, on the planet that Shani was from. "

" Really? Can we go see her someday? " Bra asked, her blue eyes startlingly bright under the stars. 

" She doesn't live there anymore. "

" W…well where does she live? "

" Shani's dead, and I… What are you crying for? "

" Because I don't want her to die in your story. " 

" I thought you said you were old enough now to handle this stuff. " Vegeta laid a hand on her shoulder. " Keep your chin up, she didn't die when I was five. "

" She didn't? "

" No. "

" Ok, are we going to go sit back down now? "

" Whatever. " He growled, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Bulma smiled at her mate and her daughter as he put Bra down in a giggling heap. " What was all that about? "

" Nothing, woman. Are you ready to continue or not? "

" I think so. "

" So what happened after they told you Planet Vegeta was destroyed? " Trunks asked.

" I got in my ship and returned to the school. Of course they waited until I was done before telling me. Calderas was pretty far from the school, but at least Frieza was still gone when I got back. "

" What do you mean of course? " Bulma wondered out loud.

" Frieza wanted to make it clear that he was in control, I had no one left to fight, no one to kill with that news. So, rather than dwell on the obvious, that Frieza had lied and killed my father and my planet, I tried to tell myself that it didn't matter. Frieza was hoping I would get angry so that he would have an excuse to punish me, but I knew that he wouldn't kill me, so if I let him hurt me again, it would get worse. " 

" Was he really so bad? I have a hard time accepting that anyone could be so cruel to a five year old. " Videl wondered out loud. 

" By the time this story is finished then, you will change your mind. He deserved what he got. There are some evils that cannot change… "

" But you aren't one of them, Vegeta. If you were, you wouldn't be telling us this story. " Bulma said quickly. " I knew about Shani, from my dreams the night we bonded, but so much was left out… no wonder when you first came back to earth you were so suspicious of everyone. I'm sorry, Vegeta, I think even I misjudged you a little. "

" Shut up, woman. " Vegeta growled affectionately. " We aren't near done yet, unless anyone is getting tired or bored? "

" Sorry to disappoint you Vegeta, but you are telling this very well, " Gohan said eagerly. " I know I'm staying, Pan how about you? "

" Yeah, tell us about the little princess again, right Bra? " Pan commanded, looking very Saiyan under the stars.

" Yeah daddy, I wann'a hear more about Shani too! But, don't you have any pictures of her? "

Vegeta thought for a moment. " I don't know if it still works, but whoever has the Dragon Tear tell it to show her to you. "

Trunks slid off of the piece of driftwood he'd been sitting on. " Woah… since when does a five year old have a face like that? "

" Like what? " Goten crowded over to see too. " Woah is right… " 

Vegeta snorted. " Tell it to show you her mother. Just don't drool on it. Not many creatures are as beautiful as elves. "

" Wow… can we like keep her? " Goten asked, staring over Trunks' shoulder at the softly glowing Dragon Tear.

" She's an Empress, it would require tact to get near her. Besides brat, she's dead now. We'll get to it, don't ask. " 

" Is Blaze's image in there too? "

" Yes, oddly enough my father is in there too, and Shade and Midnight, Shani's two familiars, Blaze seemed to have created one set of images for us both. She added that power… right before she died. I found it by accident when I was 7… Now, that's enough with the questions for a while. " 

It was late in the day, and classes were just ending as Vegeta was escorted back to the school. In Frieza's absence, the servants and guards tightened security around the school, but no one really seemed to take notice of it, especially Shani, who was as relentless in her explorations as she was with her music. Lithe and agile, she moved silently and effortlessly through the shadows cast by lines of marble columns and alcoves for statues. On this particular night, though, it was Zarbon who had the late rounds, and Shani had decided not to chance it. Bored and lonely, the elf sat in her room trying to get her next move in Tarchen figured out.

From her perch atop the vanity mirror, Blaze watched her charge knowingly. " He'll be back any minute Shani. "

" What makes you think I care? "

The tiny red dragon laughed quietly. " You haven't stopped pacing since class got out. You haven't eaten in days, you haven't slept in almost a week. If your mother saw you right now she'd put you in bed and cast a sleep spell on you right after she made you eat… "

The outer door next to hers slammed and Shani bounded over to the closet, which she had left open on purpose, much to Blaze's dismay. She pounced on him from behind, but just as suddenly found herself lying on the floor with obsidian eyes glaring down at her. She giggled and hugged him unrepentantly. He squirmed loose and let her get up, his tail flickering back and forth slowly. " What are you doing in here? "

" Saying hi to the biggest jerk in school. " Shani grinned. " Do you have any idea how much homework you missed? "

" I never do my homework when I'm here, why should I do it when I've been gone? "

" The higher you keep your grades, Frieza said the less homework you'll have to do. " Shani giggled. " I think he knew you'd say that. "

" Or he's planning on me being gone a lot. "

Shani looked a little more serious after that, but only long enough to remember the big holographic information unit that had been brought in for him the day he had left. " Look at this thing. What's it in here for? Isn't it one of those things they keep in the library? "

Vegeta dragged it over to his table and chair alcove and turned it so the keypad would face his favorite chair. "Yeah, but this one's Frieza's. "

" What's it doing in here? "

" He wants me to study all the crap in here and find the Eternal Star for him. " He growled, adjusting its power source and then bringing it on line. 

" Wha… What's he know about the Eternal Star? "

" Almost everything but where it is. What do you know about it? "

" Just that it's the greatest treasure in known space. It disappeared about 100 years ago though, along with the warriors who guard it. They were my mother's allies, but they were long gone before I was born. "

" That's what Frieza told me… except that he said they are hiding the Star from his family. Since they disappeared, the Kold Empires have been unchallenged. I guess when you kill an immortal everyone else backs down. " 

" What's Frieza want it for? The Eternal Star isn't evil. "

" I don't know. I guess he wants a matched set. He's already got the Scepter of Night. "

" What?!? That's impossible! " 

" He showed it to me while we were having dinner one night. It was almost four feet long, made of blackened steel and ebony, topped a skull made out of obsidian, and it had these two ugly almost black garnets in the eye sockets and another one on the bottom end as big as my fists. Then there were these ugly symbols carved into it. I got blasted when I touched it, felt like one of my father's most powerful attacks. And of course the jerk just laughed, I guess he knew it would happen. "

" Of course it would hurt you to touch it. " Blaze said, landing lightly on Shani's shoulder.

" Why? " 

" You aren't evil, or at least not anything like what you would have to be to use the Scepter. It can't corrupt someone who is already a little dark, but still possesses light too. "

" I've already told you, I'm not on one side or the other. I don't believe in good vs. evil. Life isn't that simple. Nothing is. "

" But the war on both sides still believes in you, Vegeta, and you already know that. You're too smart not to. But only when you are ready to admit it, will you find your true power. " Blaze said, her green eyes very serious as she dipped her elegant head and neck, then returned to her perch in the other room.   


" What war? " Shani asked to no one in particular. 

Vegeta almost said the war against Frieza, after all, he knew it was coming, he could feel the gathering, but distant storm with every fiber of his body. But something in Blaze's eyes had hinted at something bigger… much bigger. 

Yeah, I know, I just love foreshadowing… it's sooooooo much fun… I can't wait to get into that a little more too…


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything worth taking… so don't sue me

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything worth taking… so don't sue me!!!! 

Author Notes: Now that Vegeta's back at school, is he going to start doing his homework? Who's the new kid, and why's Shani so nice to him? Will Vegeta *gasp * get jealous?Is Yamcha going to stay unconscious?? Am I going to stop it with these rhetorical questions of mind-blowing stupidity??? And the answers to all of these questions and more will be yours… *giggle * maybe… hehe

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 16 

It had been a long day. Shani yawned as she slid her minicomputer on the table in her room and collapsed on her bed. The little elf was almost asleep when the front door to the chamber next door slammed loudly. In spite of how tired she was, Shani smirked. Vegeta was back from his meeting with Frieza early. That sounded like a bad thing at the moment though. The sinister pink lizard had returned that afternoon and had summoned Vegeta out of class several hours ago. Shani had left the secret door between their rooms open and it wasn't long before Vegeta came in, wearing a dark scowl. She rolled over onto her stomach and giggled, her silver eyes flashed mischievously.

" Hi. " She giggled. 

He snorted and growled. " Hi. "

" So, what did he say this time? "

" That he isn't going to send me out again for a while, but I still have to keep training. "

" Why is he so hard on you and not any of the others? " The question had been on her mind for a while, but she had never asked it before.

" My whole planet believed I will be the next Super Saiyan, and he wants to prove that I'm not. "

" Why does it matter? We are still just kids. "

" It matters to Frieza. " Blaze said quietly, her emerald eyes shone as a luminous lime green in the shadows above the vanity mirror. " He is the youngest member of his royal family and the least powerful at the moment. Like you though, for his age, Frieza is unbelievably strong. He sees a lot of himself in you, that's why he likes you and why he likes to hurt you. "

" Blaze, that's not making any sense. " Shani said, sitting up to look at her tiny companion. " If Frieza likes Vegeta he shouldn't want to hurt him. "

" Perhaps not, but Frieza is typical of his race. Not all Ice-Jin are bad, but they enjoy using their power to cause fear. Most of them simply crave a challenge… but at their power levels… they never find it, so they turn to cruelty to amuse themselves. Frieza is one of those. His father and his brother are as well; they are the strongest of their race and the most dangerous. " Blaze said quietly, but before she could say more, there was a yelp of pain from someone in the hallway. 

Shani got up to investigate immediately and Vegeta followed more out of curiosity than any desire to help. " That better not be Brogan and Craven picking on that new kid again. "

" New kid? " Vegeta asked mildly interested now. The hallway was quiet enough now, but Shani went over toward a shadowed alcove housing a large statue of Frieza and crept around behind it. With grace and stealth worthy of a Saiyan, Shani slipped through the shadows almost melding with them as she paused to listen. Vegeta watched her face, and saw her silver eyes narrow and darken to pewter as she stepped out and demanded that the two overgrown bullies release wires.

Vegeta laughed and decided he had better go see that she was talking about a bunch of wires for. Brogan and Craven were massive specimens of the Citana Warrior race, their thick leathery hide and enormous size made them intimidating, even if they hadn't started growing the razor claws on their hands and arms yet. They were holding a cowering boy to the ground, on his back. He had reddish skin, tall wiry orange hair and bright green eyes. He was a lot taller than Vegeta, but he was spindly and an obvious weakling. The two bullies hadn't noticed Vegeta still in the shadows, but they glared darkly at Shani, who boldly stood her ground and glared back.

" You again? You know, little pest you are really starting to get on my nerves. "

" I don't care about your nerves. " Shani snapped. " You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves. He's new here and you're constantly picking on him. "

" Would you rather we pick on you? "

" No I'd rather you grow up and stop stealing other kid's stuff. "

" Hey, I've heard in your room you've got a lot of pretty rocks, like diamonds and sapphires?? I think you ought to let us see them. "

" No way. I need them. " Shani growled as they started to come toward her. 

" So do we. " The larger one laughed cruelly as Shani backed away a few steps she bumped into someone else. " Hmmm, little one, cornered at last? "

Shani was almost afraid to turn around but seeing the cold, calm look in Vegeta's dark eyes made her suppress a grin. It was hard to explain, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. " Oh great. " She growled, trying to keep the giggle out of her voice. " You too? The stubborn monkey wants to play too? " 

" I just wanted to see what sort of prey took two Citana Warriors to hunt it down and corner it. I thought it must be awfully fierce or cunning to elude you individually, but if this weakling tree hugger is your idea of a challenge, you're truly pathetic. I thought Frieza was training us to be great warriors and hunters, not mindless thugs. " Vegeta's tone was mocking and the two older boys stiffened at the insult. Shani, meanwhile, had slipped behind them and dropped to her knees next to the kid who had been their original victim. She flashed him a smile and Vegeta turned his full attention to the two bullies.

" You know, Prince Vegeta, you may be a Saiyan and one of Frieza's favorites, but there isn't a full moon tonight and we are still stronger than you are. "

" You're still pathetic, picking on a girl and a weakling like that? I have an idea, why don't we find out who is stronger? I'll take the blame if we get caught. "

" What's going on over here? Some of us are studying… Vegeta? " Gunnar looked between him and the bullies and shook his head and grinned mischievously. " It'd be just like you to get into another fight and not let us have any fun. "

" Didn't you learn your lesson last time we sparred? " Vegeta smirked at him. 

" Yeah, I want to be on your side this time. You can't fight both of them alone. " 

" Sure I could… but if you're volunteering. "

" Damn right. " The dwarf grinned, and then he felt Shani's hand on his arm.

" You can't do this! " She hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

" A couple of third graders want to fight us?? " Brogan laughed, his brother mirrored it and they started to leave, only to find Vegeta in front of them, smirking devilishly.

" A Saiyan is always ready to test his power. I thought the same was said of the Citana. " Vegeta purred, his tail flickering back and forth in the shadows. 

"Vegeta! " Shani growled, in his ear. " They're stronger than you are!! You don't have to do this! "

" Tomorrow then, Saiyan on the square at midnight. You want a piece of us too shorty? Fine but don't say we didn't warn you. " The two Citana warriors couldn't resist the temptation to trip the weakling one last time as they left and Shani went over and picked him up again.

" Tomorrow at midnight? " Gunnar and Vegeta just laughed, and followed Shani into her room as she brought the new kid in and sat him in a chair. Blaze sailed over from her perch, landing on Shani's shoulder and studied the kid's cuts and bruises. " I almost hope you two get your tails kicked tomorrow. "

" Why Shani? " Vegeta smirked.

" She's a tree hugger, they're just weird. " Gunnar chuckled. 

" I'm sorry if I caused any trouble. " The new kid whispered, looking ashamed.

" It's ok, Wires, those two are always looking for an excuse to fight. " Shani grunted, dabbing some sweet smelling green gel on his cuts. "And you can't help it that Brogan and Craven are bullies, with brains the size of peas. "

" Your name is Wires? No wonder you were getting picked on. "

" My real name's Wayne, but Shannelle calls me Wires. I can fix almost anything and I'm a Zarovian, I guess I just haven't grown into my power yet. " 

" You are a Zarovian?? " Vegeta snorted and tried not to laugh.

" Yes, he is, now if you don't mind I'm busy and you two aren't helping so please leave and try to stay out of trouble. " Shani growled. 

Vegeta and Gunnar let her push them out the door and then just looked at each other for a moment then laughed. " Uh… Gunnar? Do you know what she's mad about? "

" On my world, the mind of a female tree hugger is considered one of the great mysteries of the universe. Even the greatest of scholars are unable to figure out what sort of thought processes they have. They're so emotional and everything… I don't think I even want to know. "

" Same here. " Vegeta sighed, nodding and smirked at Gunnar. " Wanna spar? "

" I was hoping you'd ask. I wasn't getting anywhere on my language assignment. "

" Which one? "

" The Kritanian one… Talk about boring they don't even have a word for war. "

" Tell me about it. " Vegeta nodded and rolled his eyes. " I thought I was going to fall asleep working on that one in study period. " 

" How cute! " Bra squealed delightedly, interrupting the story yet again, it was her turn to see Shani's picture in the Dragon Tear. "Oh, she's so pretty. She really looks like a princess, Daddy. "

" I thought you were supposed to be listening now. "

Bra bit back a smile and looked down. " I'm sorry daddy. So did you beat up those two bullies? "

" Gunnar and I held our own, but Zarbon caught us and separated us. Brogan and Craven got in more trouble because they were older, but we got stuck with kitchen duties for two weeks. "

Bulma laughed so hard she fell over. " What? Did I just hear you say _you_ had to do something in a kitchen besides being a pain in the ass? " 

" Throwing food on the plates at meals was actually rather enjoyable. " Vegeta sneered evilly. " But after that two weeks Elda forbade us to ever actually go in her kitchen again. "

" Why do I get the feeling there were some titanic food fights with you serving in the kitchen? " Trunks laughed.

" I said we threw it at their plates. We never missed… but those who didn't like what we were serving and didn't offer their plates learned to avoid our part of the line. "

" So then what happened, Daddy? Was Shani still mad at you? " 

" No, she never could stay mad about anything. But after she helped me get caught up on my homework, I started searching through the stuff on the Eternal Star. It wasn't long before we found one of their outposts, and Napa and Radditz and I were sent to destroy it, and see if we could find the Star there. "


	18. Tickle fight!!!

Shadows of the Past: Chapter 17

Disclaimer…hmm, I wonder… Do I own DBZ? NO I DON'T so don't even bother suing me!!

Notes: This chapter starts out rather cute. But it's ending…

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 17

Vegeta crouched perfectly still, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. The target was only twenty paces away now, and still had not noticed his presence. He had been observing his quarry for almost an hour and now that it was almost time to pounce, he was starting to anticipate it. His tail flickered restlessly through the shadows of the tangled tree limbs and finally he wound it back around his waist again. He knew better than to move, even a little and he would give himself away. His quarry was quick and perceptive. That the target hadn't noticed him yet was odd, he knew it should be harder to capture her than this… but all the same, she had been very distracted all day.

Saturdays were definitely the best, and now that Frieza had gone out to oversee the status of his little invasion, Vegeta had a whole day to himself. The fragile peace in the Henara Star Quadrant had been broken during the night, a mercenary team sent to guard the area attacked a party of native guardsmen on patrol, and slaughtered them in an ambush. Zarbon had informed him at breakfast that Lord Frieza had left immediately for the area, and that his departure with Napa and Radditz was to take place tomorrow, rather than today as scheduled. Vegeta's smirk widened a little as the lithe figure of his prey ventured closer to the dark crimson rosebush below his tree limb. 

The little figure of his quarry was almost in position… Shani's hand reached for one of the blossoms, but she walked past, moving a few feet farther out of his reach and Vegeta growled. The little brat had known he was there after all, and she was practically daring him to try and pounce on her anyway? Getting that close before calling off the game, by withdrawing again.

He swung down out of the tree, and landed gracefully beside her, she grinned rather than looked surprised. He snorted and rolled his eyes. " If you knew why'd you play along for so long? "

" Elves are hunters by nature too. " She giggled. " They don't call us tree huggers for nothing, Vegeta. Besides, I didn't think you'd really pounce on me anyway. "

" Oh really? " He purred, and Shani grinned as they bolted through the bushes, her slim build and light feet gave her startling speed, but he caught her easily, or at least he thought he had, when she threw herself on the ground and scrambled the other way. Watching her he could see she wasn't scared, her every move said this was fun and he had to agree.

He knew she was graceful, but her speed and reflexes were excellent, her sharp eyes judged distances with great accuracy and he knew he wouldn't be able to catch her unless she made a mistake, or started to get tired, but he wasn't about to give up. He knew she'd tire long before he would, because as sleek and fast as she was, Shani could not match his strength and stamina.

Shani leapt over a fallen log, heading deeper into the trees, like a wraith, she flickered in and out of the shadows, but her long golden hair shinning brightly in the sunlight made her easy to track. Vegeta shadowed her relentlessly, watching her every movement and waiting for the inevitable mistake that would come, as she got tired. He saw some rocks up ahead and wondered if she would change direction again or go past them. As she kept heading straight, he used a burst of greater speed and got in front of her, she was so fast it almost didn't work, but he had known that he wouldn't have time to think about it, so he just leapt right at her, and she yelped in surprise, his arms closed around her he rolled easily with the impact and the two of them landed in a giggling heap.

Her silver eyes shimmered brightly with the adrenaline of the chase and he pinned her down, and smirked at her. She squirmed, but already knew she was trapped. " Well, " She giggled, " You caught me. Now what are you going to do with me? "

" Tickle you. " He purred, as he started tickling her ribs. " This is payback for making me take the guts out of that slimy thing in science yesterday. "

Shani thrashed helplessly, laughing too hard to do more than squirm as he kept tickling. " NO!! " She shrieked. " No tickling! Stop! Please, you kill stuff all the time! "

" That thing was dead to start with! Do you think I pull the guts out of all the stuff I kill? " He growled, not angry, but definitely annoyed. 

" Not really, but, how should I know? I've never been on… Stop!! I can't breathe! One of those missions! I'm not one of Frieza's elites. " Shani begged, still helpless under his playful onslaught.

" Yeah, well, I didn't ask to be here either. " He grunted, and moved away from her.

She took a minute to stop laughing, and try to catch her breath before she went over to where he was standing, with his back to her. " What's wrong, Vegeta? " 

" Nothing, come on, let's go back, it should be lunch time soon. "

" No. Not until you tell me why you're mad at me. You weren't mad yesterday! You even draped the stupid thing's guts on my shoulder. Then Gunnar threw his at Lynx, and Wires and we all got to clean the science room. I didn't get mad at you! "

" After the stuff is dead, Saiyans don't mutilate it. Well, unless we're going to eat it." 

" You mean you just leave it where it fell? "

" What else do you do with a dead enemy? "  
  


" My people burn the bodies of our fallen enemies, and we bury whatever remains beneath a marker. If the creature in question was hunted for food, we skin it, take the meat, gut it and even keep and clean the bones, they can be carved and made into musical instruments and jewelry and things. Besides that, food animals get a prayer of thanks or a song to honor the hunt and the animal's sacrifice. "

" To fall in battle and be returned to the soil by fire is an honor Saiyans reserve for those who die with honor and courage. Only a great rival or a truly powerful enemy would be honored this way for _loosing_ a battle. As for prey animals… why bother? " 

" All of us can fall prey to something stronger than we are. And for your information I didn't want that thing's guts on me, but all the other boys were more than willing to rip the guts out of those things. I guess next time we have to dissect something I'll just have to do it myself. I never thought you of all the boys in our class would dislike that!! "

Vegeta snorted. "Oh I can picture how that'll go right now. Nature-nut-tree-hugger pulls the slimy thing out of the jar and looks at it wondering which end to start on. And when she pokes it with the scalpel… there's that weird deflating balloon noise and all those slimy guts come sliding out, all over the tray. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that was the point where you pushed it over to me yesterday. "

"I didn't throw up like the other girls did. "

" True, but you did scream when I gave them to you to hold. Geeze, Shani I was going to take them to the trashcan. "

" You put them on my shoulder! You jerk! I can't believe I'm still talking to you after that! Besides that you got us all in trouble! " Shani growled, making disgusted face and a gesture like she was wiping invisible guts off of her shoulder again.

" That was Gunnar, I just… got the ball rolling. Mrs. Noble even said she didn't know I'd done anything until you shrieked, and by then there were guts all over the room… " 

" Yes, what a perfect little angel with those dark eyes and that pointy hair… " Shani growled, then she grinned wickedly. " But did you see the look on her face when she finally realized she had a piece in her hair… right when Zarbon walked by? "

Trunks broke out laughing. " I always knew you were a brat when you were a kid. You and that little elf must've been quite a pair. "

" Like you and Goten were… and still are, although the two of you got caught a lot more often than Shani and I ever did. " There was a hint of emptiness in those words, just enough to make those who knew him best shiver a little as he continued. As if he didn't want to talk about her anymore, Vegeta changed the subject, but seemed more introspective than upset. " Napa and Radditz and I found nothing of note at the outpost we were sent to attack the next day except a hundred warriors who died rather than surrendered. Every one of them too stubborn to tell us where the Star was or even that it wasn't among them. The entire Legion was that way. They asked no quarter and they never gave it either. Fortunately there are few armies, particularly of that size who are that loyal and that brave. It took us over two months to siege that fortress, and finally beat them. They knew they couldn't defeat us, but they didn't surrender and the rest of the Legion never sent them reinforcements either. " 

" That doesn't make any sense. "

" I know, but they were willing to die for their cause and we got hurt quite badly several times fighting them. They weren't weaklings and their leaders were strong and gifted strategists. Thanks to the moon orb, we were just too big and too powerful, but they still almost killed Radditz a couple of times. I was starting to wonder if our battle with them would ever end, but the last twenty came out of the fortress and Napa thought they were giving up. We fought them without transforming, much to Radditz and Napa's disappointment, and it took another three days, but we won. "

" Why did they come out? " Piccolo asked.

" The outpost was a large one, the walls were thick enough to withstand our Oorazu punches and blasts, but twenty men couldn't defend it anymore. Besides, it was a test. "

" What do you mean, a test, Vegeta? " Gohan wondered out loud.

" The Legion wanted to see what sort of an enemy we were on equal ground. The last twenty came out, these were their best fighters now, only the veterans were left, all the cannon fodder and those who may have lacked the conviction to make this stand were dead. The morning of the second day of this test, their commander didn't come out of the fortress. I asked his second why, and he told me the man had died of his wounds during the night. I was the one who wounded him and I told the secondary I would accept his surrender, but the man and his 12 remaining fighters just laughed and raised their weapons. "

" Wow. " Piccolo whistled softly. " Talk about a last stand. No wonder they had kept the Eternal Star safe for so long. Who else could match that kind of resolve? Only a small but powerful force with common goals and a reason to stick together could have seen the end of a siege like that. "

Vegeta nodded. " Frieza had been too busy to come himself, and if he had just sent part of his army, they would've started fighting among themselves and the Legion would've beaten them and retreated to a larger fortress to warn them and help defend the next one. That was like what happened the next year when Frieza sent us after another outpost, then had to pull us back to help with a purge Zarbon and Dodoria were leading in the war zone. When we got back to our siege it was abandoned, the Legionaries had gone to reinforce a large Garrison that protected a free planet and may have contained the star itself, until they were forced to move it, when they knew they were going to fall. That battle took another two months. And I got to boss Dodoria around, since Frieza sent him and a thousand men and later, even the Ginyue Force to back us up. "

" No way! You were six years old then! No one would let a six year old lead a battle!I don't care how much confidence Frieza had in you. " Gohan interrupted, " It's not possible, even you would've cracked under stress like that. "

" Actually, I lead every charge and I told Dodoria where I wanted to attack first, but he was the one who maneuvered the troops and coordinated the attacks. By the time I was ten, I had assumed both duties of command, but yes, I was there during the planning and execution of our strategies. When I had learned enough, I started working with Zarbon, and he continued teaching me what Dodoria couldn't master in terms of strategy and counter strategies. "

" Goku may be more powerful, Vegeta… but I have always known you are our best tactician. " Piccolo said thoughtfully. " But I guess even I never realized you had started learning the art of war when you were so young. "

" It was only the next step in my training. Napa knew I was bored with the training I had been getting. I was not really strong enough yet to be given stronger opposition in the training room, but opponents who could think rather than simply react and situations that I had never encountered… That peaked my curiosity. From tactics, and playing Tarchen with Shani I found myself curious about military command and history. When the librarian told Zarbon I kept raiding the military strategy and counter-measures shelves… that was when Frieza decided to send me to Shadin 5, Gohan. With the right teacher, it doesn't seem like work or studying at all. Dodoria was a moron, but he was a strong leader, and he loved to fight, he had the trust of his fighters and could plan and execute head on attacks and even some simple screens, but an assault on two fronts or coordinating two or more groups of fighters with different goals, that would've been beyond him. Had Zarbon been on that planet, he would've attacked the fortress, but the brunt of the attack would've been directed at the civilians living more or less in the shadow of the garrison. "

" Vegeta! That's horrible. " Bulma cried. 

" War is never pretty, woman. It isn't bombs bursting in air or a pretty flag waving in the wind after the smoke clears. War is bloody, it's dangerous, and it's death. More often than not survivors envy the dead, because those who aren't killed usually face their injuries, starvation and enslavement. The way that Dodoria and I captured Shadin 5 saved over million lives, or about half of the city. But if we had concentrated on the city, the soldiers would've surrendered eventually, rather than fight us until the last one died. The Legion warriors were not out to win at the cost of those they were sworn to defend. Instead the resolve of the soldiers gave strength to the starving civilians and made martyrs of those who died resisting. The next fortress and the next… Every time we moved to attack them, we made the Legion more determined to hold us off, and the civilians that depended on them admire their courage even more. Yes, Zarbon's method would've been more brutal at its outset, but in the 18-year campaign, it would've saved billions of lives, that were lost when we chose to take them with brute force rather than attack their morale and their will to resist. "

Poor Vegeta… It's hard trying to explain war to those who haven't really been through it. 

This sort of echoes the sentiment about war that David Gemmelle presents us with in his Drenai series… particularly The King Beyond the Gate, and Against the Horde… Those are two books I suggest all fans of heroic fiction and war stories become familiar with. The characters in his books really live and breathe… his writing is far better than mine, and the mix of light and dark within each character introduces the link between good and evil and the shadowed line that some people have to cross to make a stand for the greater good.


	19. A warrior's philosophy... and Etiquette ...

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ… if I did Vegeta would've been the one to kick Frieza' ass from here to… Damn it… Well, anyway… don't sue me.

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 18                               

    " That's not really fair for you to say. We're not little kids or anything anymore. It isn't like we haven't seen battles before, Vegeta! " Krillin and Gohan objected at the same time.

    " You can't tell me that you have any idea what I'm talking about. You were not taken from your home and your parents at five years old and forced to murder entire civilizations. You also can't imagine from the battles you've fought on earth what it looks like to see a battlefield carpeted with thousands of soldiers, laying dead at your feet, their bodies being slowly picked over by carrion birds, curious animals and insects. The stench of rotting flesh gets into your clothes and your hair for days. Worse still is when the cleaning crews arrive and they start to burn the bodies. That would've been a truly miserable job, finding and sorting the dead, and of course the occasional dying warrior and having to put them down before you can burn them. Frieza's army was cold and brutal, but they kept excellent records of all enemy casualties and our own losses. Our personnel files were very thorough. I can still remember everything in mine. " Vegeta sighed, falling silent for a moment, he looked down. " You get used to the sounds of combat, and even the screams of the injured and dying, but never the silence afterward. The silence that shrouds such a scene takes you by surprise every time. That was why most of us who were in the purge division worked in teams. No one would ever admit it, and no one ever spoke of it, but it was always there. I worked alone more often than I care to remember. " 

     "Still, " Vegeta shook his head. " to me the tragic thing is that actual wars are a series of battles fought not so much on the front lines as by diplomats and strategists behind the scenes that command thousands of lives but never take part in the fights they start. The soldiers' battles are an outward sign of the determination on both sides to see their interests achieved. Wars often start decades or even centuries before the first punch is thrown as diplomats and strategists on both sides maneuver into positions that will gain the support of their people, and in particular, their fighters. The battle phase of war need only continue until one side or the other gains a truly decisive victory or until the battles become too costly to continue at which point one side normally surrendered. To the planets we purged, I suppose they thought of fighting us as being a war… but such missions were usually ridiculously easy and carried out in a week or less. But planets who had successfully defeated one team only received another more powerful one, so they still loose in the end. "

    " I remember too clearly how I felt when I was trying to fight Radditz, and then you, Vegeta when I was five…" Gohan said slowly, tracing circles in the sand with a stick. " I guess you're right. I really can't imagine how you felt being so young and purging planets, and listening to strategists and… "

    " Gohan. " Vegeta grunted, " I am not saying you have not had it pretty rough, too. You were raised to be peaceful. I was raised to be king of a great warrior race one day. To do that I would have to be ready to issue orders that the same warriors I was chosen to rule, would have to go fight, and I would have to know that many would never return. Battle is what I was born for. I was _never_ a naïve little brat that could blast someone and then wait impatiently for them to get back up and play some more. With power like that comes responsibility and in a way, I took it very seriously from a young age, but I have still done a lot of things I wouldn't do now. "

     Everyone was quiet for a moment, until Bra laid a hand on Vegeta's shoulder and smiled. " So what happened next daddy? Did you go back to the school, and see the little princess? "

     " Yes, Bra. In between almost all of my missions I was sent back to the school. But this time I was actually glad to be going back. I was very tired. Two months of sleeping on the ground under the stars was not much fun compared to sleeping in my own room, and having people my age to talk to. I really enjoyed sparring with Gunnar, and hanging out with Shani. Most of the others I considered to be lower creatures, but the three of us got along perfectly, and I didn't want Frieza and Zarbon to get too interested in anyone I liked. "

     " What about that new kid? Wires? Didn't you say that was his name, daddy? "Bra asked. " He seemed nice, why didn't you like him? " Vegeta just laughed.

    Vegeta walked out of the library's study room and heard some strange noises from the near by maintenance closet. Arching one eyebrow he opened the door and found Wires hanging upside-down over a mop bucket and suspended by what had to be at least five rolls of duct tape. He also had his hands taped to his sides. Vegeta sighed as the skinny weakling of a Zarovian gave him a pleading look, and was about to pull him down, when a familiar voice called out from down the hall. 

    " Why Prince Vegeta. " Said the walking mountain of muscle that was Captain Ginyue, as he came striding over. " What are you doing, joining the cleaning staff? I thought you'd have had enough of that during your kitchen duties. "

    " One of my classmates is in there. I was going to retrieve him. " Vegeta growled.

    The huge purple skinned warrior just chuckled maliciously. " That skinny little twit doesn't belong here. He ought to be one of the palace slaves, not one of the warriors in training. "

    " It is up to Frieza who belongs here, Captain Ginyue. " Zarbon said smoothly. " I suggest that you tell those two brutes of yours to find something else to play with. "

     " Brogan and Craven have more points than any of the young ones you've been working with, Zarbon. They don't really even need the rest of their team, and they are strong enough to pick on anything they want. " Ginyue shrugged.

     " Vegeta and Gunnar held them to a stand off just three months ago, out on the square. So how do your two favorites like their duties cleaning bathrooms in the coliseum? If they have this much extra time, maybe I need to assign them something else to do. "

     " You bastard Zarbon. You only gave your little brat two weeks! Three months isn't fair and you know it! And you know what else? If you weren't Frieza's bitch, I would've killed you a hundred times by now. " Ginyue growled. Vegeta could feel the warrior's incredible power growing, even without his scouter, and took a step back. 

     Zarbon however, remained aloof, and cool. Looking down his perfect nose at the stronger warrior and grinning. " I think you're jealous of more than my diplomatic skills, Ginyue. My brother wiped the floor with your team at the war games last year, and this year my team is again better than yours and you know it. " 

    " Yes, rub it in… but how is your little brother anyway? Last I heard the two of you weren't speaking. Something about you being too afraid of Frieza to take back your father's throne and… " 

    " Kazar is young and foolish. He still doesn't want to believe that Frieza's rule is absolute and that he will crush all who oppose him. But he will learn, won't he, Captain? " Zarbon shrugged, his voice cool, but the Saurian's amber eyes glinted with fire. 

    " Yes, we all had to learn that one… I suppose. " The purple warrior glanced at the contents of the closet and then laughed as he started off down the hall. 

    " Don't you want to rule? " Vegeta asked finally as Zarbon freed the struggling boy from his precarious perch.

    " Sometimes caution is the better part of valor, Vegeta. More than anyone else here, you had better learn that truth. " The elegant warrior told him.

    " No warrior ever won a battle simply by watching. " Vegeta growled.

    " Not all battles are fought with physical blows and Ki blasts. " Zarbon shrugged. " Haven't you learned anything yet, Vegeta? "

    " You know there will come a time when words and everything else will fail, Zarbon. What are you going to do then? Are you going to stand and fight? Or are you going to stay Frieza's lapdog? " Vegeta asked, forcing himself to lock eyes with the dangerous warrior and not back down. He knew Zarbon was way beyond his power, but he also knew Zarbon would never lower himself to attacking him. There was too much grace and honor in Zarbon to do something so course.

     Zarbon laughed softly, finally looking away. " Vegeta, such talk is treason, you know that. For now you had better remember that sometimes it is better to be the king's hound than a lion among jackals. I think we had both better forget that we had such a discussion. "

    His heart was pounding in his chest as the Saiyan Prince watched Zarbon walk away; he knew it was dangerous to make Zarbon angry, but he also knew that Zarbon would be a powerful ally, were he ever to turn on Frieza… 

     " Thanks, Vegeta. " Wires said quietly.

     " I'm late for class, thanks to you. " Vegeta grunted. " But I didn't really want to learn proper dinner technique for entertaining Ronalians, anyway. I hate showing up late to Etiquette class. "

      " Are you suggesting we not go? " Wires asked, his green eyes huge with shock.

     " Do whatever you want. I'm going to find Napa and Radditz. "

     " Who are they? "

     " You're as bad as Shani, just go away! I don't have time for all these questions. " Vegeta growled, and turned around to see that he was being followed. " All right, I guess you can come but be quiet and… "

     " Hello little monkey. " Dodoria chuckled. " You two wouldn't be avoiding Mr. Poupon and his etiquette class, would you? "

     " No. " Vegeta growled, glaring at Wires, who winced and followed them to the large conference room in the library, which was set up as a dinning room today. Vegeta growled as he took his place across from Shani, who grinned and waved. 

     " Oh, very good, Prince Vegeta and Prince Wayenright have deemed us worthy of their royal presence. Better late than never, thank you Master Dodoria you may go. " Mr. Poupon was a tall elegant figure of a man who's impeccable manners, immaculate taste in clothes and regal bearing could make some mistake him for actual Gazorian royalty, but he was not. 

    Vegeta knew he was born a member of the noble class certainly, but he was known to be illegitimate, and therefore unfit to rule. This meant to support his noble status, he used his royal breeding and manners to instruct others in proper etiquette and manners. In time, he had developed quite a reputation, and Vegeta glared at the man, but he ignored it. Mr. Poupon had been his etiquette teacher before he had come here. Normally didn't mind this class, because he had been thoroughly well taught most of this crap already, but what he hated, was proper dinner etiquette. And knowing his teacher from his father's court, meant Vegeta knew the man purposely saved these lessons for when Vegeta was here, knowing he despised the formality of training for state dinners as actually having to attend them.

     " Now that we are all here, does anyone remember what Ronalians are? " A number of students raised their hands, but Mr. Poupon nodded at Wires, who squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

     " I'm sorry, I don't remember. "

     " The proper phrase would be I _am_ sorry, I _do not_ remember. " Mr. Poupon corrected smoothly. " Could anyone else tell me? Very nice, Princess Shannelle, would you like to answer? "

    " Of course, Ronalians are the creators of the three most valuable pleasure slave varieties, and were responsible for beginning the slave trade that has been based on Kwanzaa since Durmast took the throne. " Shani told him.

    " Princess, it is unseemly for a young lady of your breeding and character to speak of such things, particularly at the dinner table. Ronalians are also among the best scientists and inventors in known space. They have saved countless species from extinction and rescued even more from starving to death, by creating new plant and animal varieties that adapt and survive even in extreme conditions. "

     " So are you saying it is alright for them to justify their horrid experiments on living beings by hiding it behind some of the byproducts of their work? Their intentions are not entirely benevolent, and the slave trade has made them dangerously wealthy. They have been negotiating with Lord Frieza himself to buy my planet… because of the way others react to Elven beauty. I am sorry, Mr. Grey Poupon, but I cannot and will not overlook such a danger to my people in favor of their shinning examples of good will toward other races and planets. " Shani growled defensively, and Vegeta grinned at her in admiration. There were tears in her eyes, but she managed to keep them back, so that was what had been bothering her lately? The Ronalians were trying to purchase her planet? Bastards, and knowing Frieza, he'd sell it to them too. That didn't sit well with Vegeta, not at all... 

     Mr. Poupon also regarded her speculatively, for a moment then he turned to the rest of the class. " There will be times, my young royals, that you will find yourself facing subjects like that, things of bitter unpleasantness that makes you feel almost uncontrollable anger and pain. Princess Shannelle has perfectly demonstrated exactly how one should broach such a subject. If there had been a Ronalian in this room, they would've been surprised by your outburst. But they could not, by rules of etiquette and hospitality, take serious offense or action against you of any kind. Mind you, that would not be a good way to begin negotiations, but since we were imitating a state dinner meeting between many races and potential allies; that would definitely make your point that perhaps other races need to watch their Ronalian allies a bit more closely. "


	20. Intruders? But what do they want?

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 19

    It was still dark out when a familiar song disturbed Vegeta's meditation. He smirked and started to turn around, already knowing Shani was playing her Salute to the Morning, like she did every other morning. But he got up and looked out the window anyway. Something was different this morning. As always, Shani played her flute with incredible skill, but the song seemed to reflect no happiness or even hope now. He knew that her music was meant to evoke emotion, and always reflected her own feelings very strongly as she played, but this morning it was almost as if she were dreading the morning instead of welcoming it.

    The notes were slow, and lingered wistfully. Vegeta shivered in spite of himself. As often as he had heard her play this melody, he really should've been used to it. But there was sadness in the tune that he had never heard before. Light and drifting, the enchanting sounds were beautiful, as always, but haunting and powerful in their almost tangible pain. He had never heard her play with such emotion, and it started to worry him as the first rays of the sun began to warm the sky with color. The notes slowed further, and with one off note, she stopped playing all together… What could be wrong?

     Blaze would know, but she almost always went with Shani to welcome the morning. Still, when she was upset, Shani liked to wander the gardens alone. Seeing Shani sitting in the tree above the garden's only dark crimson rosebush, her knees up to her chin, shoulders slumped and obviously crying, he decided he had to find out what was wrong. He didn't often admit it, even to her, but she was his first friend, and he didn't like it when she was sad or angry.

    He knocked on the passage way between their rooms and was about to shrug it off when he heard Blaze's soft voice. " Come in Vegeta. "

    " Blaze… " He paused, looking into the bottomless emerald gaze of the tiny dragon. " What's wrong? "

    " With Shani? Well, she told me that she blurted out in class the other day that the Ronalians are negotiating the purchase of our planet. So you know about that. But her baby nephew has died, and she never got to meet him. "

    " What's a nephew? "

     " Her aunt's newborn son. Shani didn't know about him until yesterday night, when he died. Her mother and I thought it might be better to keep it from her, since he was very early and we didn't think he'd survive. "

    " Why didn't you just tell her? You should've known she wouldn't like not knowing. "

    " Yes, of course we knew, but there wasn't anything we could do for him. Even magic can't mature an infant that wasn't ready to be born. Perhaps my evil creator could have. But no magic commanded by mortals is powerful enough to shape the future; it can only accept it, once it is written. "

    Vegeta climbed up on Shani's bed and gave Blaze a skeptical look. " You're saying that destiny can't be changed. But how do you know when it's too late? "

     " In the case of Shani's nephew, that would be too early. But when we use magic to look into the future, it's not 100% accurate. After all, certain situations will sometimes cause people to act differently than they normally would, and that is how destiny can be changed. For good or bad, the way we usually act is the way we will conduct ourselves about 98% of the time, and that ninety-eight percent, is what our magic shows, when we cast a divination spell. The future is very difficult to alter, though, because our actions are not the only ones to be considered. Our enemies, allies and sometimes even truly neutral parties can affect situations that can keep the future on its most likely course. Most often, when we reach these decisions, we are not even aware of them, and that is why destiny is so difficult, and so dangerous to alter. "

     " Is Lord Frieza going to sell Talon to the Ronalians or is he just trying to see what Shani's mother will do? "

    " At this point I don't know. Frieza is unpredictable because he is given to cruel whims and yet his dislike for Ronalian science is well known. I thought you were taking Radditz and Napa out on a training mission today. "

   " No. " Vegeta growled. " Lord Frieza wants me here so I can finish that stupid lab project with Shani. Radditz and Napa left this morning without me. "

   Blaze chuckled lightly, watching Vegeta's tail curl back and forth in annoyance, until he wrapped it back around his waist, and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Is she coming to breakfast or not? "

   " I don't know, if you try to talk her into it, she might, but obviously she's upset this morning. She won't yell or even look at me. "

   Vegeta scowled, staring at the floor silently until Blaze sighed.

   " Please? "

   " How should I know what to say? At least for the time being your planet still exists… Yeah, I'm sure that'll make her feel better. " He grunted sarcastically. 

   " Say whatever you want, Vegeta. Don't you think it'll matter to her more that you came to find her? "

   " Whatever Blaze… Why does she like that spot out there so much, anyway? "

  " I don't know, " Blaze tossed her head as if to shrug.  " Ask _her_, Vegeta. "

  " Oh, fuck that shit, you do too. " He snorted, heading to the door.

   " Shani's right, Vegeta… you do have quite a gift for swearing. " Blaze said thoughtfully, skillfully changing the subject. " It's too bad Mr. Poupon isn't here to hear you use language like that in front of a lady. "

   " Yeah, right, that's nothing compared to the way the soldiers talk at the Barracks. Then again, after spending two months with Dodoria being in charge on Shadin 5; I think even Zarbon would've learned a few new ones…" Vegeta snorted. "You know, I can't believe we've been here almost a full year now. " Blaze looked away sadly, and Vegeta sighed, as he shut the door.

    Vegeta approached the tree where she was sitting, still with her head on her arms and her knees tucked up to her chest. He sighed, wondering what to say, but she looked down and her eyes widened as she saw him standing there. " Vegeta? What are you doing here? I thought you were with Napa and Radditz. "

     " No. Frieza wanted us to finish that lab project. I think he has something bigger than a training mission that he wants me for. "

     " Oh. " She wiped her tears away on the back of her hand and looked again at the lingering colors of the sunrise. " Vegeta… "

      " What? " He sighed, swinging himself up onto the tree branch next to her.

     " Why don't you ever talk about your family? "

     " There isn't much to tell. My father was an asshole. And my mother wanted nothing to do with me. Even at state functions she never said anything to me unless it was to remind me that she hated me… and my father. Why does it even matter? My whole planet is gone... they're all dead. "   

     " That's not right. Every body should have family, someone that loves them. I don't know why it doesn't matter to you, Vegeta, but Napa cares about you. " 

     " Napa is my bodyguard, Shani. Following a Prince around and training him pays quite well. "

    " But like you said, your planet is gone… and he's still loyal only to you. "

    " He's like a big dog Shani, he doesn't know how to do anything else. "

    " Don't you have any aunts or uncles or anything? "

     " My father killed his only brother to assume the throne, and he had not yet taken a Queen. Do you want to come to breakfast? "

     " I think I want to sit for a while longer. "

     " Why do you like sitting here so much? "

     Shani looked down and pointed to one of the roses below. " The flowers on that rosebush are called Red Shadows, and they are the symbol of Shinalla. She's the goddess of love and healing that Blaze and I follow. My people believe these roses have their almost black shade of red because they reflect both the healing magic of creation and the dark magic of decay. Love and its counter hate also have a balance reflected in the red and black velvet of each petal. These roses only grow in places where they can be touched by both the sun's rising and setting rays… as if they will stand forever half-way in shadow, and half-way in light. I like to sit here because they remind me of home and that no matter what Frieza does, somewhere out there, the cycle of life will continue… " Shani looked up and smiled. " I guess I do feel like going to breakfast. Want to join me? "

    Two days later, right before Physical Training class, Vegeta remembered that he needed his gloves out of his room and went back to get them. He ran to his table and picked them up, he threw his books on his bed and froze. He sniffed at the air… sweat and fear and Vegeta felt his tail bristle at the scents… his keen nose lead him to the closet that hid the secret passage to Shani's room… Voices… two of them… both of them masculine and vaguely familiar. Vegeta growled low in his throat, his tail flickering back and forth in anger.

     Silently he opened the closet door and crept inside, shutting the door behind him just as quietly. Shani was already in the coliseum waiting for class to start, so who could be in there… and why? 

    " Damn it, what in the fuck are we looking for? This rooms so neat you couldn't hide anything in here, let alone some lizard in here! What the fuck are we even bothering with this for? "

    " Shut up soldier and quit complaining. Frieza says there's some weird dragon in here and he wants it found! "

    " If he knows it's here why doesn't he come and look for it? "

    " That's what he pays us for, you moron! " The officer hissed. " Shut up stupid, someone's going to hear you! "

    Vegeta smirked, and crept out of the closet back to his own room and went into the hallway where he went to Shani's front door. " Too late. " Vegeta growled, opening the door to let himself in, since the lock had been broken by their forced entry, that was easy.

      " P-prince V-vegeta! " The officer stuttered, shrinking back toward the vanity, where Blaze had camouflaged her fiery red scales to mahogany brown and sat motionless above the mirror like a decorative carving of a dragon. " You- you're supposed to be in class, Sir. "

     " And you are not supposed to bother the rooms or possessions of the students here. " Vegeta snapped. " What are you doing, searching this room? "

     " Lord Frieza has reason to suspect that Princess Shannelle had brought a pet of some kind to the school, Sir, and he told her she couldn't. "

     " She doesn't have any pets. Now get _out._ " Vegeta growled.

     " But Lord Frieza… "

     " I will tell him that you searched thoroughly and found nothing. And I will also tell him there are no pets in this room If there were animals in here I would've seen them. "

     " So there aren't any dragons in here? "

    Vegeta forced himself to laugh, but glared at them coldly. " The dragons of her world wouldn't fit in the palace, let alone in one room. Who gave this information to Lord Frieza? I should kill them on Lord Frieza's behalf, since they wasted his time with such a ridiculous lie. "

    " I'm sorry, Sir, Lord Frieza didn't tell us who told him about it… we were just following orders, Sir. "

    Vegeta nodded, and watched as they left, skidding across the polished marble floors in their rush to get down the hall, away from him. Vegeta glanced up at Blaze and scowled. " You're lucky, Blaze. Someone smarter might have noticed you don't match the rest of the room, up there. "

    " I was taking a nap when they broke in, I didn't have time to hide or turn invisible. "

    Vegeta nodded. " Just be careful. Who besides me, Shani, Gunnar and Wires knows that you are here? "

    " Napa and Radditz have seen me. "

    " Napa wouldn't mention it to anyone, not even me. Neither would Gunnar or Wires. That means our tattle-tail is Radditz. And if that is true… something else I have spent the last year wondering about makes sense too. "


	21. There's Poke'mon out there???

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ… don't sue me.

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 20

      Since he got to class late, he didn't have a chance to tell Shani about what he had found in her room, so he reluctantly followed her to play practice that night. He couldn't help grumbling as Shani, Wires and the others ran ahead to hurry and get changed. Vegeta and Gunnar weren't in it, but the dwarf usually went to practices to get out of doing homework, and Wires just liked to watch. Unfortunately, as if it weren't bad enough that the play they were doing was unbelievably stupid, it was also the second half of the play's dress rehearsal tonight.

      Shani was already the most talented actress in the entire school up to the seventh grade, and yet Gunnar had told him she had sulked for a week when Mrs. Shakespeare had posted the list of who got what parts and she was Jesse. Then, two weeks ago, while Vegeta had still been away on Shadin 5, the part she wanted had opened up, and this time, she had gotten it…

       " She's really going to go through with this? " Vegeta grumbled as he and Gunnar found seats a dozen rows back from the stage.

       " Do you really need to ask? " The dwarf grunted. " She says her lines constantly these days, Vegeta or hadn't you noticed? " 

       " What lines?? " Vegeta growled, but he didn't have time to say anything else, because the lights dimmed, and the curtains swept aside, revealing the stage. He could only shake his head wonderingly as Shani hopped lightly onto the stage in costume. He hated that ridiculous outfit on her. She was wearing a yellow and black felt costume that made her look like a fat little rat with rabbit ears, an odd looking tail and impossibly short legs with a disgustingly cute face and big dark eyes. Even more ridiculous was the creature's happy, sensitive nature and while he could see that Shani would definitely like such a creature, he couldn't believe she would ever dress up to look like it!!

     She hopped lightly over to a boy from one of the upper classes who was wearing a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, red jacket and a baseball cap. " Pikachu! " Shani blurted out happily. The boy on stage smiled down at her, patting the head of her costume lightly.

     " Yeah! " The boy cried, making a "v" with his fingers, he cast a cocky look across the stage at the three figures who had just arrived. " Now that we have you back there's no way Team Rocket can beat us! They won't be getting any more Pokemon from this village! " 

**

     " Daddy!! " Bra gasped. " Did they really have Pokemon out there???? "

     " Yeah! " Pan scooted up closer to look at him, then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. " Are you sure you aren't making that up? " 

      " I would die before I would make up something as absurd as allowing Shani to dress up like a stupid yellow rat! " Vegeta snapped. " _And_, if I had known these humans would _ever_ adapt such a stupid old legend into an anime; I would've tried a lot harder to destroy this place when I first got here! I thought you two were the ones who wanted me to continue? " 

      " Of course we do! " Bra bounced up and down excitedly. " So Shani got to be Pikachu?? That's so cute!! "

      Vegeta grumbled something under his breath but didn't get to continue with the story, because Bulma spoke up. " Vegeta? Did Radditz really betray you, when your planet was destroyed or did it just sound that way? "

      He gave her a dark glare, then paused for a moment and looked down. " Radditz told Frieza that my father was going to attack his ship to try to get me back. But even if Frieza hadn't known about it in advance, there was no way they would have succeeded… Frieza was just too strong and I am sure he was hoping my father would do something like that. It gave him an excuse to get rid of the other Saiyans and allowed Frieza to demonstrate his ruthlessness to anyone else that might try something similar. I could have blamed Radditz, but I already knew as I saw my father leave that day that he was going to die. Yes, I was angry, but the past couldn't have been changed. Besides Radditz was only third class, but he was far smarter than Napa. I suppose I liked him, I just couldn't believe he let you beat him. Even together you shouldn't have been able to kill him, if he hadn't been toying with you, things would have been very different on earth by the time I got here. But power levels aren't just a question of physical strength, and Radditz never really understood that, neither did Napa or Frieza… or I. "

      " So you knew but you left Radditz alive knowing that he betrayed you? " Gohan asked sounding surprised.

      " It was my father that he betrayed. Your uncle was still very young when the order came to rendezvous with my father and his contingent of the royal guards. But Radditz wasn't stupid like Napa or suicidal like my father. He knew that their plan wouldn't succeed... If others had figured it out in time, there would have been more of us still alive to fight Frieza later. Bardock was only a third class squad commander so no one believed him, but I think it's true…I think whatever happened to your grandfather on Meat actually gave him the power to see the future. It's unfortunate that he used it to attack Frieza's ship alone; it would've been useful if he had learned to control it. Then again, knowing my father, he wouldn't have trusted Bardock's visions or he would've found some way to screw things up anyway. " 

      Trunks sighed, drawing little circles in the sand with a small stick. " You really did hate your father. Didn't you, Dad? "

      " He gave me to Frieza. " Vegeta growled. " I understand _now_ why he did it. But it is something I will never forgive. My father gave into Frieza's demands one after another until he found out the hard way that he was only a figurehead on his own throne and suddenly everything rested on my shoulders. By power level I was the strongest Saiyan ever born, the legendary warrior meant to overthrow the bastard and destroy him. I was still a child yet I had to survive among veteran soldiers and mercenaries. My father traded _my_ life for one chance to redeem his honor, and he almost lost both... While I was still a child I was pretty safe from Frieza himself, he knew I wasn't dangerous yet. But, the men in Frieza's army were sometimes more dangerous to each other than the missions we were assigned to carry out. Lies, betrayal, murder, and revenge… I had already seen too much of it by the time I got to earth. Even among Frieza's favorite lieutenants and commanders these rivalries were still part of everyday life; they just weren't as obvious. Zarbon and Ginyue only got along when they were near Frieza. Zarbon and Dodoria weren't exactly friends either and Kiwi took it upon himself constantly to try to get in my way. "

       " Who's Kiwi? " Krillin asked. " I don't remember that name. "

       " I didn't meet him until I was 17. He was also the first of Frieza's men unfortunate enough to encounter me on Namek, so really our rivalry didn't last very long. " Vegeta purred. " That idiot never could call my bluff, but that last time we fought I really was stronger. "

       " That's nothing. " Gohan grunted, " Dr. Gero was an android and _he_ couldn't tell either, remember? Honestly, I don't think I've ever known anyone quite as intimidating as you can be, when you want to, Vegeta."

       Vegeta snorted bitterly. " Just one more thing I learned from Frieza and his goons. You couldn't possibly understand how infuriating it was to know that those bastards were stronger than me, and that meant that if they had seen through it I probably would've died during that first year… or any one of a thousand occasions in the 23 years that followed. Even when I arrived here when my power was at 18,000, Kiwi, Dodoria, Zarbon and all of Ginyue's idiots were much stronger than I was. Unless I could've used my transformation, any of them could've killed me. When I left this planet I was very lucky I was right, that Frieza wanted me healed so I could stand trial for betraying him. " 

        " Yeah I guess so… hey, dad? I've been wondering, exactly what was your power level when Frieza took you? " Trunks asked. " I mean how strong were you? "

        " I was born with a power level of 100. By comparison, Kakarrot had a five when he was born. By the time Frieza took me from my father I was consistently ranking at least 3,000 points. After the mission to Calderas, when I found out my planet was destroyed, I had reached 4,000. When I had been at the school for a year, around the time of that stupid play, I was at 5,000. "

         " How could you have been that powerful when you were that young? And for Frieza to treat you so badly… " Bulma sighed. " It just doesn't seem right. "          

         " I was more concerned about Frieza's sudden interest in Shani than I had been in the way he treated me. He had left her alone for almost a year, and suddenly his soldiers were searching her room? She could have fixed the door to her room with her magic, but I didn't think Frieza or Zarbon should know about that, so she and Blaze stayed in my room with me that night but we talked and played Tarchen the whole time anyway. I think Shani knew something was going to happen soon, because I remember Blaze had gone to sleep, but we stayed up. Shani never could sleep when something was really bothering her. I guess during my missions she would always go down to the kitchen and talk to Elda and Alta, since they worked all night anyway.  But, until she told me that I never understood how much she meant to me too... "       

The next chapter will be longer. 


	22. Chapter 21... A midnight snack... and a ...

 Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ…

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 21

    The room was dark, except for the light shinning down from the sphere of light hovering silently above the Tarchen board. Shani sat up onto her knees and smirked as she chose the seated figure holding a crystal globe in his lap off of the second board. She stuck her tongue out at Vegeta as she moved the pewter and crystal figure twelve spaces forward and two to the right before she finally put him down. Vegeta arched one eyebrow as he watched five pieces disappear from his ranks. " Attack! " Shani said with a giggle.

     The Saiyan Prince supposed he didn't mind loosing the four from the two lower boards, they were only pawns but the piece that had vanished off of the top board was the figure of his Captain of the Guard. " What did you just do? "

      " Remember when I told you that advisors are the most powerful fighting piece on the middle board? " 

      " Yeah… but how did you get my Captain? "

      " Well, actually, I tried to assassinate your king. It failed because you had your Captain in the way, lucky for you. I knew it wouldn't work, but I also knew you wouldn't expect it. "

      " I thought that's what the assassin figure right there is for. " Vegeta asked picking up the small, cloaked figure standing a few spaces across from Shani's advisor.

      " Let me tell you something about the advisor piece, then I'll explain why I didn't use my assassin. The advisor is a lesser piece on the top and bottom boards, but in the middle board he pretty much does as he pleases. His strengths are his ability to move other pieces for the king and queen and he can also attack on his own. I used him to attack, so right now he is helpless… " 

      " But he's just a bureaucrat… how can he attack in the first place? "

      " He makes his bodyguards attack after he has gotten permission to see your ruler. He isn't actually the one that does any fighting. He is supposed to escape, but he doesn't have any guards anymore, so even one pawn can take him down now. If I can get him back to his place in the board, he will be able to defend himself again, but until then he is the weakest piece on the board. The trouble with catching advisors though, is that if you approach him head on he will bribe them into letting him go. He can turn _any_ piece on the board into one of my color as long as he is facing them, except the king and queen. " 

      Vegeta smirked. " So that is why you moved pawns to all sides of that empty space. You knew he'd be in range and you were planning to attack… very sneaky, Shani. I didn't think you had it in you. But why didn't you just use the assassin? "

      " You can only use your assassin once per board, and after he is used he always returns to the space on the board that he starts in, on the middle board. He reappears there magically, after he makes his attack but _before_ my next attack, so he would be vulnerable and unable to get away until your next turn. "

       Vegeta nodded, pausing slightly to study the board. " So… if I send anything to kill your advisor right now, he will buy them off? And if I let you get him back to the space he usually sits at, he will be back to his full power? "

      " Yep. Your King or Queen couldn't be bribed, but even your assassin can't attack him head on. You don't have enough guards near my advisor to protect your King or queen if you move against him now. Admit it Vegeta, I got _you_ this time. It was a good move. "      

       Vegeta was silent and still as he glared at the advisor piece; it was definitely a calculated risk. Her move was solid and he certainly hadn't expected it, but letting her get away with it wasn't acceptable. He looked up suddenly and smirked, picking up the king piece. Shani bit her lip anxiously, but couldn't stop herself from smiling.

        When he put the king on the board, in the space in front of Shani's advisor pawn, on the middle board. "Capture. " Vegeta said, her advisor disappeared from the three boards, but it was Shani's turn again. She glanced back and forth between her king and queen for a moment before she picked up her queen and placed it where the advisor had just stood. Vegeta laughed, " Attack. " He purred and placed the figurine of his assassin in the square with her queen. 

      Shani's jaw dropped and she stared at him as her queen and the assassin both disappeared from the square. " W-You're the sneaky one! You never put the assassin back down and he can be held for up to three turns, but he always gets first strike!! You… I don't believe it. You tricked me! "

      " At least you decided not to move your king there. The game isn't over. " Vegeta shrugged. "Why didn't you just play it safe and send a knight with the three pawns?

      " It might as well be over. Without my advisor all of my pieces move at least one space slower, and you got my queen too. But it's worse than her being captured; she's dead! " Shani pouted.  

      Vegeta scowled at her, not wanting to admit that he didn't like it when she was mad at him. " I only captured your advisor. I'll ransom him back to you for the tower that he captured on square 778 last week. "

      " You're trying to trick me again. " She sulked, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly refusing to look at him.  

      " Is it working? " 

      " You jerk! " Shani growled and was on the attack in an instant, her movements a blur of pure gold. But Vegeta just laughed. She was fast, but not strong enough to hurt him. Her delicate fists would get hurt long before his arm did. Finally he just laughed and pounced on her lightly. He rolled to protect her from the impact and trapped her on the floor effortlessly, and started tickling her ribs without mercy. 

      " NO!! " Shani thrashed and squealed helplessly in rage but it soon gave way to laughter. " I-I give up!! " She gasped, squirming helplessly. " I can't breathe!! Stop it, V-Vegeta! Leave me alone! "   

      " What's the matter, can't the little tree hugger _make_ the monkey leave her alone? " Vegeta purred as he stopped tickling, but he didn't let her go. 

     Shani scowled at him and her lip stuck out like she was pouting again. He smirked and started to tickle her again. This time she begged for mercy. "Oh no! Stop it!! Please? Vegeta! No more… it hurts to laugh! Please? "   

     He smirked at her as he stood up. She stayed on the floor though, trying to steady her ragged breathing. Finally she sat up, looking at him with those shimmering silver eyes. She still looked sad. It was never this hard to cheer her up. He was about to ask her what was wrong, when she jumped up and ran to the door. " I'm hungry. Let's go see what kind of ice cream the cooks have tonight! "

     " Ice cream? We didn't have it today or yesterday and it's not on the menu for tomorrow either. " 

     "Elda and Alta _always_ have ice cream in the freezer! You just have to know when to ask for it! Well, and I guess maybe it doesn't hurt to be cute like me. " She said, smiling at him sweetly. He rolled his eyes but followed her to the kitchen.

     The two cooks were busy baking so they didn't see either of their two visitors until Shani hopped up on the counter. " Why Shani, " Elda said with a warm smile. " I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight. What can I do for you? "

     " Vegeta and I were wondering if you have any ice cream. " 

     " Vegeta? " She leaned over the counter, and smiled. " Well, well.  You two have class in the morning. You really ought to be sleeping… " The cook chided gently. Then she smiled. " But, neither one of you ever really eat enough, I suppose I can find you some ice cream. But, you have to tell us why you two aren't asleep. " 

     " You do this a lot, Shani? " Vegeta wondered out loud.

     But it was Alta who answered with a thoughtful smile. " We see an awful lot of her Vegeta. She comes down to see us every night while you are gone. Even your training missions… we've learned to keep ice cream on hand, or this poor little thing would probably starve to death. "

      " I would not. " Shani growled. " I just… You're my friend, Vegeta.  I don't want to think about you being all alone out there! Why does Frieza want to make you hurt people anyway? It's not right to do it just because he happens to be strong enough to get away with it. I know that you are too strong to be hurt on these missions… but I still worry about you. Because while you're here you're the best friend I've ever had and I know you wouldn't do these things if he wasn't making you. Maybe it makes me stupid and weak, but I just know that it hurts me to know that he wants to make you like him. And I know you don't think it will work, but every time you leave and then come back, when you return, the darkness inside of you feels a little bit stronger. I know someday you _will_ have the power and the passion to fight him, but you don't have it yet, and that scares me sometimes. " 

      Vegeta snorted, then he sighed. Anytime there was sadness in her eyes, it seemed to shoot straight for his heart, but this time he couldn't seem to shrug it off... " I promised Blaze that I would remain honorable, Shani. A true Saiyan would never break his word on such a promise. "

        Shani nodded, and she tried to smile, but a tear rolled down her face. " I am never going to forget you, Vegeta.  You know that, don't you? "

      " What are you talking about? I just got back last week. I _can't_ go on another mission until Napa and Radditz get back, and they just left the day before yesterday. It'll take them at least a month to deal with Callona 17, even with the troops Frieza sent with them. " Vegeta grumbled.

      " You aren't leaving. I have to. " Shani whimpered, looking like she wanted to crawl under her ice cream bowl and hide. 

      Vegeta couldn't deny it; he was stunned. " What? "

     " While you were gone Captain Ginyue and Dodoria came to our Physical Training Class and watched. They said… Well, Captain Ginyue said I'm too much of a weakling to stay here. He says I'm holding the rest of the class back. Dodoria just laughed, so, I asked Zarbon what he thought and he said that since Master Gouken… left, that I haven't been learning to focus and control my energy like I was before. I always try really hard to do it the way that Master Genjuro says to, but it just… feels wrong to me, and without Master Gouken here… it feels like I can't do it that way either. Zarbon said I might do better at one of the other two schools, where the focus isn't on physical power… But I don't want to go! I like it here! And… I'm scared. "

     " Funny how Ginyue likes to shoot off his big mouth when Zarbon isn't around to remind everybody what an idiot he is. " Vegeta growled, after another bite of his ice cream. " Shani, I don't understand, you do fine when I'm there. What makes them say that you're not figuring it out? "

     " W-when you're here it reminds me of how Master Gouken said to do it. And I can watch you. " 

     " It sounds to me like all you need is practice then, how much have you been practicing outside of class? "

     "I-Well, with the play and everything, I've been busy. " She protested. Then she sighed, her silver eyes downcast and shimmering with tears that were threatening to fall. " Frieza said he won't decide about me until he gets back. But you'll probably be gone again by then… I don't want to go. I want to be here, with you. "     


	23. Playing a new game at school??

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ!!!

Shadows of the Past

Chapter 22

    " But Daddy!! " Bra cried desperately. " Frieza didn't really take the little princess away!! Did he?? "

    " Are you ever going to stop with these interruptions or don't you want to know what happened? "

    " I'm sorry. " Bra pouted. " You can keep going… "

    **

    Dawn came and went, and Blaze let the two of them sleep, rather than help wake Shani up to play her salute to the morning, and while Vegeta was up before Shani, he too awoke considerably later than normal…

    Blaze had curled herself around the back of his favorite chair and was already having her breakfast, an emerald the size of her head. He snorted, she even ate like a girl, chewing it daintily and quietly.

    " I still can't believe you eat rocks, Blaze. " He chuckled, as he got up off of the floor and stretched, looking at Shani, still asleep on his bed. He rolled his eyes. After their late night kitchen raid, she still insisted she wasn't tired, so they had snuck out onto the roof and sat up on top of the tower that formed the far corner of his room and watched the stars. He never knew she knew the stars so well, but she could find all of the stars whose planets he had been sent to so far and she could didn't need the star charts to do it, either. While they had talked, she had fallen asleep out there, so he had brought her in, and put her in the bed and settled down on the floor with a couple of blankets and his pillow… 

     " Not rocks, Vegeta." Blaze corrected, drawing him from his thoughts. " Pure minerals and gems in particular collect traces of magic in the of thousands of years it takes them to form. The more natural magic it was exposed to, the higher the gem grade, and the better it tastes. I love emeralds from the mines of Calash. "

     " Better than Elda's Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with caramel, huh? " Vegeta purred mischievously, knowing the tiny dragon loved what she called 'people food' especially chocolate; _anything_ with chocolate, but she didn't get it very often.

     " Nothing's better than that, " Blaze admitted with a laugh. " Believe me, I've been counting the minutes till suppertime since last week, actually."

     " I know, " He chuckled. 

    " Don't you and Shani have to go out to the square this morning? I thought you were having that weird practice outdoors all day today? "

    " What? "  
  


    " You remember, it's a drill or something that will keep you guys out of classes all day today and tomorrow? I knew I let you two stay up too late last night… "

    " Oh… yeah. " Vegeta growled, turning abruptly and heading for the shower. " We'll be ready. " 

    But when he returned, Shani was still asleep, and Blaze was gone. Vegeta spent a moment looking for the tiny dragon, but it was getting pretty late, so he turned his attention to Shani with a shrug.

    " Come on, " He purred, tickling her nose with his tail. " Wake up! "

    "Mmmm. " Shani growled, waving him away sleepily. " Go away, Veggie. "

    " Can't this time, you're in my room, remember? " He purred mischievously. " Come on, we gotta be down at the square in 10 minutes. "

    " The square? " She blinked sleepily. " Oh that's right! I suppose we'd better go then huh? " 

    She bounced out of bed and took a moment to stretch before she performed the grooming spell, and smiled sweetly at the glare he sent her. " What's the matter, silly monkey, still can't get your ki to give you a bath or change your clothes? "

    " At least I always wake up in time to take a bath. " He grunted. " Come on, we already missed breakfast. "

    " Hey, where's Blaze? "

    " I don't know, but I'm sure she's fine and she was the one who reminded me that we were supposed to go outside for that stupid thing today. "

    " I'll just be glad when it's time for the play tonight. "

    " I still can't believe you would ever put on that stupid costume!! How can you do that to yourself? "

    " It's just for fun, Vegeta, and it's just this once. " 

    " I've seen you in that ridiculous costume at least three times, Shani and I hate it more every time I see it. As if the legend itself isn't stupid enough, you just had to be the yellow rat?? "

    " But you are going to come and watch tonight, aren't you? " She asked, her silver eyes shimmering as she smiled. " Please? I really want to… "

    " You don't need me there… "

    She stopped and grabbed his arm, but her expression was pleading. " Please? "  

    " Oh, alright… " He growled, and he was about to stalk off sulking when she surprised him. She giggled, kissing his cheek lightly. For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say or do, but Shani was already gone, scampering lightly down the long marble corridor to the doors closest to the square. Finally he growled, making sure he rubbed the little peck off of his face and trying not to look like he was blushing, he stalked outside after her and hung back a bit from everyone else.

     Luckily everyone else was already gathered around Zarbon and Dodoria, and a large box curiously. "Oh good, " Zarbon chuckled, casting a pointed glace at Vegeta. " You decided to join us after all. "

      Dodoria snickered coldly. " Yeah, I was afraid I'd have to come and find you. Come here, Prince Vegeta, you're first. "    

     " First for what? " He growled distrustfully.

     " Our friends from Kwanzaa have graciously sent us a few of their toys. These are Ki bracers. These are the same restraints that they use on the gladiators who fight in the arenas and down in the pits. With these on, we can control the strength of your Ki blasts to make them stronger or stop you from using them entirely. " Zarbon said, snapping one on each of Vegeta's wrists.

     The Saiyan Prince crossed his arms over his chest, feigning disinterest, but wearily stayed out of Zarbon and Dodoria's immediate reach.

     " Why are you putting these on us? " Gunnar wondered, tugging vainly at the two heavy metal cuffs. " We weren't slaves the last time I checked. "

     Dodoria laughed. " As warriors you must be ready for any situation that may arise. A lot of our missions lately have been dealing with the Killjarinn Sector and they have Ki disrupting weapons and armor too. " 

     Zarbon nodded. " If you should ever encounter this type of weaponry or restraints then it will save your lives if you are already familiar with your limitations in them. Vegeta, I am going to lower your Ki, and the rest of your class is going to try to catch you. I want you to be thinking of two of your classmates that will also be the hunted. Now, I hear a lot of giggling. Let me assure you. This exercise will not be as easy as it sounds. Even without being able to fly, use super speed or blast you, Vegeta is still a Saiyan, a natural hunter. He and his two fellows only have to evade you until suppertime to win. The rest of you have to capture and keep all three of them prisoner until supper, if you want to win. Vegeta, pick yours first, and Gunnar, you will lead the others. "

     " Why me? " Gunnar asked suspiciously. 

     " You're the two strongest in this class, you are the other team leader, Vegeta already has several hundred points, this is your first chance to catch up. "

     " So where's Captain Ginyue? " Vegeta wondered and Gunnar nodded.

     " He's on a mission for Frieza. That's why Dodoria is here. "

     " Yay. " Vegeta growled sarcastically. " We have the fat pink marshmallow standing in for the purple jerk. "

     Gunnar tried not to laugh. "Yeah, really. So, who are you taking, Vegeta? "

     Vegeta growled, his first choice was obvious, Shani. The second was harder. Lynx and Wires were the next fastest runners, but they were even weaker than Shani. Lynx was a little faster, but Wires was easier to get along with… " Shani and Wires. "

     Shani giggled, bounding over to him. " You picked me?  I promise, Vegeta, we won't let you down. "  

     "Uh-are you sure you want me on your team, Vegeta? " The little Zarovian squeaked.

     " Yeah. " Vegeta shrugged, even though he wasn't sure of anything at the moment. " Zarbon… these guys out number us by 10 to one. If any of them should straggle a little can we even the odds a little, other wise, how are we going to have any fun? "   

     " Actually, we usually wait and have that be part of the exercise the next time we do it, but I suppose if you want to… If one of these three capture you, you are to leave the game and will return to study hall in the library. Now, Vegeta, take your team and get ready. I will be informing Gunnar and his team on the rules they have to follow. You three will have one hour until we start the game. I suggest you use it to prepare your evasion strategy. The entire school grounds are open to you, but never inside the buildings. Gunnar will have the only scouter, and if one of you is captured, you may try rescuing them. "

    " How far are you going to lower my power? " 

    " Check your bracer read out, Vegeta. " Zarbon smirked. 

    Vegeta glanced down curiously, and growled. The digital numbers read 500. He wasn't even sure he could fly with it that low. He glared at Zarbon and lead Shani and Wires away, heading out into the woods. 

    Shani grabbed his wrist and dragged it over to where she could read it. " Woah! That's like 4,500 points they took away from you, Vegeta!  This isn't going to be fair at all! " 

    "More like 4700, but that's the point, Shani, it isn't supposed to be fair. At least he didn't take it any farther than that. He could have, you know. " Vegeta swung himself up into a tree. " Besides. I'm still not helpless. I can still fight, I can't blast or fly, but I'll take down anyone in that group except Gunnar and Kor pretty easily. " 

     " Unless Zarbon is going to amplify the ki of some of the other kids, Vegeta, you have to be careful. We need to work together. " Shani sighed, absently pulling leaves off of the tree limb they sat on.  

     " Would you quit that? Those leaves down there will give away our position, Shani. Come on, Wires let's find another tree to wait in. Preferably one that Shani can't pull all of the leaves off of. Some tree hugger, huh? There she goes, despoiling nature again. " He purred mischievously, but Shani just stuck her tongue out and giggled.


End file.
